Gift of the Heart
by Klan-Elric
Summary: A crash landing on a new world causes the other half of Sora's heart to obtain his own body. Why has this change happened? What does this mean for Sora and his friends? SoraXRoxas
1. Chapter 1: A Whole New World

Disclaimer: We do not own Kingdom Hearts.  
Chapter Warnings: Slight language, mentions of sexual situations.

Gift of the Heart

Chapter One  
A Whole New World

The brunette wasn't entirely sure what world they had just crash landed on. He wasn't sure what had had happened to Riku and Kairi. He also wasn't sure that all of his limbs were working since he was sprawled in a rather odd position. The one thing he was sure of was who the blond head of hair and the equally brilliant blue eyes belong to. There would be no way he could not know the body of his other.

Wait… His other had a body? Sora shot upright completely mindless of any injury his body might have sustained. He hadn't felt any shooting pain so he must be alright enough. "Roxas!" he exclaimed. The exuberant keyblade wielder nearly pounced on his other but just managed to restrain himself in time.

What just happened? Roxas wasn't quite sure. He looked up with hazy vision as he lay on the ground, a pain aching through his back. "Ow..." his voice groaned, as he sat up placing a pale hand into his spiky blond locks. He scanned the area and saw his other sprawled out on the ground next to him in an equally strange position.

Wait a minute... The boy felt his head begin to hurt when he tried to think the situation out. "Sora?" he chimed as the other boy began to move about. He soon heard his name bellowed and was almost tackled by the other keybearer. The blue eyed teen landed on his back again from the force of his other and he only smiled at the other boy. "Happy to see me?" he chimed with a sarcastic attitude.

"Yes!" Sora could not contain his enthusiasm this as he immediately rapped his arms around the blond and started to chatter as he sometimes did when he was overly excited. "Riku, Kairi, and I were attacked in our gummy ship on the way to the next planet! I'm not sure why I'm telling you that cause you kinda already know, but we crash landed and the next thing I knew I was here and you were there! With a real body! I can touch you! Like physically touch you! Like not just in my mind touch you!" He chattered in a very excited tone.

Roxas couldn't hold back the chuckle that was building in his stomach as the boy began to ramble as he did most of the time. "Yes Sora. You can touch me. Do you realize you're heavy? If you'd get off of me I could hug you back." he said staring up at his somebody as he lay on the ground beneath him.

"Oh!" Sora exclaimed as if he only just realized that he had pinned his other to the ground. "Sorry!" He scrambled off to sit just beside Roxas. He took a few seconds to glance around at the scenery and found nothing remarkable about it.

The blond sat up arching his back again cracking his knuckles for a moment. After stretching himself out he looked to the brunette at his side and gathered the boy into his arms holding him tightly resting his chin on the boy's shoulder. Blue eyes fell closed at Roxas just took in the feeling of his other in his arms; the real feeling of his other in his arms. He let out a soft coo, showing he was content as his lips curved up into a soft smile. "There. That's much better."

Immediately Sora rapped his arms tightly around his other. He couldn't get over the fact that he could feel him. Really feel him. At Roxas words he pulled back and grinned. "Not yet!" Quickly he dove in and pressed their lips together. His smile was nearly splitting his face when he pulled back. "Now it's better."

Roxas let out a contented sound when his other kissed him. He opened his eyes half way to give his other a sly smirk before he pressed his lips to his other's once more. He pulled back and licked his lips, still smirking. "You've been eating sea salt ice cream again haven't you?" the boy teased as he licked his lips again.

Sora grinned. "Only cause you like it so much. We picked some up at Twilight Town remember?" He leaned in a stole another quick kiss and then jumped up before he could get distracted. "Let's go explore!" he declared as he reached down and offered his hand to Roxas.

Roxas smirked. "You spoil me." he purred out, taking Sora's hand to stand. He dusted himself off and moved his joints again. "This having a physical body thing is going to take some getting used to." the blond joked sliding his slender digits into the sun-kissed ones of his other. He tangled their fingers together letting his body be pulled forth by the other boy's seemingly endless energy.

"We gotta find Riku and Kairi. Won't they be surprised to see you!" The brunette exclaimed.

"I'm sure they will." he chuckled following behind his one and only, Sora.

Wasting no time Sora poked around among the greenery and rock. "Look at these cool symbols!" He declared pointing out a few on a nearby rock before moving on. The further they went the more jungle like the area seemed to get.

Roxas smiled and simply followed where the brunette lead him. There were no complaints coming from him. No. Not when he got to spend this time with Sora. He wasn't about to complain in this bliss. Just watching the boy, he smiled. He couldn't help but let his lips curve up into a grin.

Sora spent a few more moments poking here and there before he turned to his other. "Hey Roxas? This doesn't feel like its just temporary does it? I mean do you think that you'll fade away soon?" His blue eyes colored with sadness at that thought.

His eyes dropped to the side at the boy's question. It wasn't something he wanted to think about but it was all too true. Soon enough though, Roxas cracked a grin that his somebody always gave so well and rested a hand flatly atop the other teen's heart. "Sora, no matter what I'll always be right there. So no matter what happens to me I'll always be with you. You know that." he said giving the boy a sad smile before his hand moved to the side of boy's face as he leaned in and pressed another tender kiss to his lips.

"I know," Sora said softly when the kiss was broken. "I just like being able to touch you. I mean I can kinda touch you when I sleep but it doesn't feel real half the time. Not like this feels real... I never got a chance to know you like this..." Sora pressed his lips to the blonde's again mostly just for the desire to kiss but also for the effect of silencing himself from the somber thought he was muttering

Roxas pulled back only for a moment. His eyes dropped to slits as he smirked purring his words. "Oh. That. You will Sora. You will." he spoke his breath resting on Sora's lips as he only pulled away enough to speak. He leaned back into the kiss, pressing against the other boy passionately.

Roxas understood what he meant all too well. It didn't feel real half the time. Hell for Roxas it always felt like a dream that ended too soon. Breaking the kiss, he wrapped his arms lazily on the boy's shoulders and leaned to his ear and whispered. "Don't worry Sora. I won't fade away until you have your wicked way with me at the very least," the blue eyed boy purred the words hitting the boy's ear with each soft breath. He came back landed a soft kiss on Sora's cheek before he clenched his hand again and began to pull him along. "Come on Sora." he started looking over his shoulder. "Let's go find Kairi and Riku. They're probably worried sick."

One of Sora's classic grins spread across his face at Roxas' words. He easily wrapped his fingers with the blonde's own and met him stride for stride so they were walking together. He just couldn't resist voicing the thought that had popped into his head. "Gee Roxas, I never knew you liked other people to watch when we do things," he said in a seemingly innocent voice.

Roxas shot him a glare instantly at his words as he looked to his side. "Don't you even try it pervert. You know what I meant. Besides we have no idea how long this is going to last. I'm sure if you tell Riku and Kairi that we're going to find the ship or something, things will work out," he said in his 'you're an idiot' tone. His lips quickly faded back to a smile and the blond found himself grinning. "We just have to make the most of it Sora." he chimed brightly, as his hand swayed back and forth keeping pace with the other boy.

_'Make the most of it, huh?'_ Sora thought to himself. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he pulled his hand away from the blonds. He took two steps backwards before screaming, "Piggyback!" and jumping up onto the blond. His legs instantly wrapped around his nobodies' waist and his arms around Roxas shoulders. "Carry me slave!" he declared giggling as he set his chin on the blonde's surprisingly soft spikes.

"I outta drop you on your ass Sora." The blond chimed, smirking after a loud "Oof" was released from his form. "I am not your slave. I am your other half. I so should just drop you," the boy grumbled rolling his eyes moving to adjust the boy's weight. He leaned forward forcing the other to make sure his grip on his shoulders was steady. The blond proceeded forward blindly for several minutes before he asked. "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Yep!" Sora declared excitedly. "Forward!" He added an exaggerated pointing motion in a forward direction to his declaration. After a moment he dropped his arm back to Roxas' shoulders and nuzzled his face into the teen's soft hair. He inhaled deeply breathing in a sent that was surprisingly all Roxas' own. Sora couldn't place what it was but he found that he rather liked it. Smell wasn't something that he had ever experienced with spending time with Roxas in his mind.

Roxas paused a moment, stomping a foot forward to brace himself has he jumped Sora's body repositioning the keyblader's weight again. "Alright I trust you." the blond smiled, his lips only grinning wider when he felt the boy nuzzling into his blond locks.

After much walking Roxas could see what looked like a town? "Sora what is that?" he chimed wondering where they were. "You've been all over the place. Does that look familiar?"

"Nuh uh, haven't seen any of this before," Sora said nonchalantly. He was simply gazing around at the surrounds when he saw what looked like a shadow flicker of movement. "Roxas, put me down," he said softly uncurling his legs from his other.

"Yes your highness." Roxas said dropping the boy less than gracefully. He rolled his eyes but there was a flash of shadow as if it was a figure he couldn't see. "Heartless?!" he said alarmed ready to summon his keyblade if need be.

Sora just nodded summoning his own keyblade to his hands and trying to locate the shadows he saw. The moment the weapon appeared there was a flurry of movement and they were suddenly surrounded by things with incredibly strange faces with very pointy spears pointed at them. Sora shifted slightly to be back to back with Roxas and lifted his keyblade the barest fraction of an inch as he attempted to figure out what strategy might work best. It was only then that he realized the color of the skin of the hand holding the spear. It was a rather tanned flesh tone.

Wait a minute... Heartless didn't have normal colored skin. Upon further inspection there was very normal skin running up the strong arms and down legs and even covering bare feet. No heartless he knew looked like that. "I don't think they are heartless Roxas," he said very softly.

"I think you're right." the blond muttered back holding his hands up in a 'I surrender' fashion as he stood back to back with his other. His eyes were wide and nervous as he had the blade of one of the spears shoved very closely to his slender neck. "Sora who are they then? Everyone loves you, tell them we're not bad." Roxas chimed again in a low mutter over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off of the blade.

Sora let his keyblade disappeared and held up his hands like Roxas had. "Uh. We're friends. We aren't going to hurt you," a spear was thrust closer to his face as it had been with Roxas. There was chatter in what appeared to be in another language before one spoke to them. "To the city. We go. Do not try to get away," the man that spoke gestured with his spear to the city that they had just been able to make out. "Uh right. No trouble we're going," the brunette nudged Roxas, turned, and began a slow walk towards the city in the distance.

Roxas kept his hands in the air walking in front of Sora as he was lead to the city by sharp tips of metal. He swallowed hard a few times, obvious discomfort shining in his oceanic orbs. "Sora" he whispered under his breath. "I love you. I just want you to know that before they kill us." he continued not turning around. The last thing he wanted to do was make one of the strange natives angry. The blond however was sure they were walking into certain death.

"I love you too Roxas," Sora said automatically. He wasn't certain if they were going to kill them or not but he wouldn't die easily and he knew that Roxas wouldn't either. As they entered the city it was evident that what looked like a much smaller rundown town was a bustling area of activity. Sora had always been fascinated by different world and this time was like all the others. Even though they could be walking to their deaths he was still fascinated. Roxas took in the sights as Sora did, finding himself curious but worried.

The coolest thing by far was the blue glowing thing suspended in the air. It was surrounded by what looked to be floating rocks with faces on them. As soon as Roxas' eyes fell on the mass of blue energy in the sky he felt drawn to it in a way.

Sora marveled at it he realized they were climbing up towards it. Standing directly underneath it was a woman with a slender yet strong build and white hair. There were a few men around her along with Riku, Kairi, and Namine. Wait...

"Riku! Kairi! Namine!" he shouted before he even stopped to think about it. To his surprise the men around them only looked to the women who said something in their own language before turning to Riku, Kairi, and Namine. "They are friends of yours?" she asked in heavily accented English.

"Hey guys..." Roxas said, his voice droning as his head tipped up locking on the mass of energy in the sky. He stood slack jawed and just stared at it unable to look away. The life started to fade from his eyes moving to orbs of pure blue. The boy was in a trance and the world around him seemed to fade away. He didn't even notice the line of small blue markings that ran down his neck and seemingly his shoulder and maybe further. His clothes hid the rest. They weren't there before were they? They began to glow only as Roxas got closer to the object in the sky. The closer the boy came the brighter the markers shined.

Namine and Kairi watched as their friends came up to the same place they were brought. It wasn't surprising to see Roxas was with Sora. Kairi was surprised to see Namine in her own separate form but not upset. The markings that appeared on Namine when they were brought to this spot were showing themselves on Roxas, and Namine understood. Soon Roxas would too. She only smiled at her blond friend as she watched the same thing that happened to her begin to happen to him. His eyes were already faded. He was lost inside of himself, probably speaking with the being by now. "Sora. Catch him. He's gunna fall in about five seconds." Kairi quickly told the brunette remising to what had happened to her nobody only a few hours prior. True to Kairi's warning, soon the dazed blonde's knees buckled and Roxas began to fall as his eye fell closed.

"What?" Sora asked confused before he glanced over to his other. "Roxas!" he exclaimed catching him just before the teen would have hit the solid ground. He took note of the shining lines and in the back of his mind found them rather intriguing. For the moment however he was much too worried about the state of the blond. "Roxas!" he called shaking the teen in his arms lightly. "Kairi what happened?" he asked as he glanced up at the seemingly quiet woman.

"Calm down Sora. Roxas is fine. He'll wake up in a few minutes. Just give him time." Namine spoke up holding a small sketchpad close to her chest. There was a small set of softly glowing markings covering the girl's form that were all too similar to Roxas'.

"Sora, are you alright? We've been worried about you." Kairi spoke as well, as she walked to the side of her spiky haired friend.

"Yeah," he replied still distracted by the limp teen in his arms. "You guys are alright?" he asked looking around.

"Yeah we're fine," Riku told him.

Sora, now confident that everyone either was ok or would be shortly, nodded. "Where are we?" he asked.

Taking it as her cue to answer, the women with the white hair and strange markings of her own stepped forward. "Welcome to Atlantis!" She said with a smile. "I am Kida and you are all welcome here."

"Urgh... Sora?" Roxas chimed as his eyes opened the life returned. The markings on his body faded to a dull fade as he brought himself to stand on his own. He could clearly see the worry in his other's eyes, - they really couldn't hide much from the other half of you- he smiled at him tenderly. "Sora, I'm alright. I just have a much better understand of what's going on. I'm fine, really," the blond tried to reassure him

Sora passed him a look that clearly said 'Tell me later? He moved over to where Riku and the others were standing. "Atlantis huh? Cool," he marveled to himself then he turned to the woman who had called herself Kida to discuss 'business'. "So have you seen any heartless around here? Black shadowy things?"

"No. None of those. We are protected by the heart," Kida told him smiling. There was something about her that made her look young yet wise at the same time. "Come we will eat," she declared leading the way off the platform and down towards a large building that Sora could only assume was the palace.

Roxas quickly followed behind the others sliding his hand into Sora's just not as intimately as before. He grinned when he watched Namine do the same thing to Kairi. "She's talking about the thing in the sky Sora." Roxas whispered to his somebody leaning in close to his ear. "That's the heart she's talking about. I'll tell you what's going on later. Well what I know at least." His middle growled and the blond placed his free on it, blushing ever so slightly. Speaking of food he was hungry. He was sure Sora was too. He was a bottomless pit after all.

"Ok," Sora said softly. He trusted that Roxas would tell him later and he squeezed the teens hand lightly. He was just a bit distracted by his stomach now that someone had mentioned food. Riku followed the others quietly. If he noticed the hand holding he didn't say anything about it.

Soon the teen found himself in side a huge building with his friends. He was impressed by its structure but at the same time it wasn't too different. He'd retrained vague memories of the world that never was after all.

Kida eagerly lead them through the rather open building to a low table where food was already sitting for them. "Sit and eat," she told them settling on a soft cushion at the head of the table. She picked up a fork and smiled at it. "We even added forks a while ago. Milo wanted these utensils." Sora wasn't entirely sure what she was meaning but he was not going to pass up food even if it looked a little strange. He didn't need another invite to settle on one of the cushions in front of a plate.

His hand tugged Roxas down to sit by him and with a smile released the blonds hand and began to dig in. Riku settled to Sora's other side in a much calmer manner and was taking his first bite when Sora exclaimed "This is good!" around a mouthful of food. The silver haired teen had never understood how his best friend had always been able to talk clearly around a mouth full of food, but Sora seemed to have perfected the talent.

Roxas sat next to his somebody and laughed at his actions. That was just like him. He could always be so cute. Roxas followed suit, eating at the same pace as Sora. Soon he too grinned. "This is really good." he spoke mimicking the actions of the other keybearer instinctively. Kairi and Namine giggled at the boys setting on the other side of Riku eating at a much slower pace, actually taking time to taste their meal.

After going through more food than they probably should have, Roxas stopped. He looked to Sora to see if he was still going, and the blond rested a hand on his contented middle, letting out a loud yawn. His eyes were half lidded with a contented smile on his face. "So what are we doing now?" he chimed pleased for the moment.

Namine giggled at him looking up from the doodle she was currently working on. "I don't know about us, but you look set for a nap Rox." Kairi joked to the blond, who only stuck his tongue out at her in reprimand.

Sora did a mock stretch. "Well since there isn't any heartless here. I could use a nap," he declared hoping Roxas would follow suit. Riku raised a brow at the thought that the boundless energy boy could be tired, but he didn't say anything about it.

"I can show you to rooms if you want," Kida offered.

_'You are not tired Sora. There is no way in hell.'_ Roxas thought to himself having no idea whether or not his somebody would be able to hear his comment or not. His small frame yawned again and he smiled at this girl called Kida. "Sounds fine to me." he spoke lazily. Namine giggled at him again. "What?" he chimed at her, and she stopped her doodle again looking at him innocently.

"Nothing." she spoke with a smile and looked to Kairi, both giggled again.

"Yeah I wouldn't mind settling in for a few hours. Riku? What about you?" Kairi said to the white haired woman with a bright smile. Riku shrugged as his answer and Kida took that as a yes.

She rose, "Come follow me." She walked down a short hall and gestured to rooms on either side. "You can rest in any of these."

"We'll take this one thanks!" Sora declared grabbing Roxas by the wrist and ducking into the nearest room.

Riku sighed and rolled his eyes. Something was defiantly up with those two. "Thank you," he told Kida softly before taking the room next door leaving the women out in the hallway.

Kairi and Namine giggled like school girls when Sora drug Roxas off. Kairi gave Namine a knowing look and smirked. "You think so?" Kairi asked her blond counterpart and the girl only flashed her drawing in response. "Oh nice. For sure." the burgundy haired girl smiled before taking a room on the other side of the hallway, her nobody following behind. "Thank you." she said.

TBC…

A/Ns:

Kat: That is the first installment of our little story line. Kudos to anyone who guessed what the world was before it was announced. If you can't already tell this is a Sora x Roxas fiction and we are not reveling what we have in store for them either. Leave us a review to let us know you stopped by.

Kira: Please don't flame us for this pairing if you don't like it, don't read it. If you prefer something else, please keep it to yourself. Just keep reading to find out all the twists we have planned out. XD Oh and Kudos to anyone who can guess who's playing who.


	2. Chapter 2: Exploring

Disclaimer: We do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney, just the ideas that we created.  
Warning: Sexual situations, mild language.

Gift of the Heart

Chapter Two  
Exploring

Roxas found himself pulled behind Sora quickly into a room all their own. "Sora!" he blurted out when the teen had grabbed his wrist. Once the door was closed and they were alone, he narrowed his eyes at the boy smirking. "Someone's sure tired." he mocked in a sarcastic voice. "I knew there was no way in hell you where actually tired." he spoke smirking wider crossing his arms over his chest.

Sora just grinned and kicked off his shoes so he could flop onto what looked like a mass of pillows and blankets. "I know you know," he declared his grin widening before fading. "What's going on Roxas? You're not just gonna disappear on me right?" he asked worriedly.

Roxas smirked. "Oh and what would you do if I was Sora?" he teased moving his hands to his side as he leaned forward speaking to the now setting boy. He placed a kiss on the teen's nose and plopped down next to him smirking. His lips went to a soft smile and his eyes shone brightly with a glee. The markings on his form now had faded into his skin to be a light color that could be seen up close but not a far.

"Don't worry Sora." he started leaning back on his hands. "I'm not going anywhere for a long time. Namine isn't either," he turned to look at the boy with a grin. "It's alive Sora. That being in the sky. It gave us bodies. It gave us a second chance." he spoke an excited to his voice that was reflected in his eyes.

"Really!?" Sora asked excitedly completely forgetting the fact that Roxas had kissed him earlier. "That means that you'll be able to actually come to different worlds with me?! And hang out with me! And always be touchable right?!" he exclaimed nearly bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Well I think there's some limitations. I want to talk to that Kida girl later. But I should be able to. Just don't get your hopes on me quite yet Sora. I don't want to hurt you by accident." Roxas spoke smiling. "You already seem awful excited about this."

Sora preformed a move which looked like he pretty much hopped directly onto Roxas. Roxas fell backwards onto the mass of pillows and blankets grinning, not caring that his hair now lay askew in his face and eyes. "I am excited. I get to be with you. I get to touch you. I get to kiss you," Sora declared and at his words he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Roxas cooed into the kiss, and let out a sound of disappointment when it was broken by Sora so he could pull back far enough to whisper, "I get to do other things with you too."

"Other things? You can just say it Sora. It's not like we haven't already done it," he smirked before his somebody was kissing him again. Roxas pressed into it passionately not making any attempt to stop the brunette. This was blissful heaven for the blond.

"Naw," Sora grinned when he finally pulled away again. "If I say it then I'm not being suggestive anymore I'm just saying it. This is much more fun," he slid his hands underneath the fabric of the blonde's shirt. "There are so many things we can do." His face was nearly split by a grin as he though of that. After a moment he put a nearly aggravated look on his face. "You wear too many clothes, Roxas."

Roxas snickered and gave Sora smug grin. His slender fingers slipped up to his zipper on his jacket and he pulled it down. "Yeah but at least I wear zippers and not too many buckles and belts like someone I know." he teased letting his other see the pale flesh of his stomach. He slid himself out of his jacket and tossed it to the side, and entangled his fingers into Sora's hoodie pulling it off of him and doing the same thing with it. "Is that better Sora?"

"That just means you have to work harder," Sora declared scooting down the teen's body. He moved to the exposed patch of stomach and pressed his mouth against it. Playfully, Sora huffed out warm air onto it before lifting his head up.

Roxas let out coo as Sora touched his bare skin. He could feel his muscles tighten. Sora knew just how sensitive that part of his body was and liked to use it to his advantage. "Sora" he cooed out pleasure lining his tone.

When Sora glanced down he noticed the faint but still there elegant lines spiraled along it and the blonde's sides. "Cool!" he exclaimed giving into his kid like glee for a moment. He could be incredibly serious when they were together but he was simply so excited at the idea of Roxas being physically there all the time that he could hardly contain himself.

The brunette stopped? He looked down at Sora an annoyed expression - confused than anything- on his face. "What is it Sora?"

"You have these really cool lines," Sora traced one from Roxas's belly to his hip bone.

Roxas giggled when Sora traced lightly the supposed line on his stomach. "Sora" he said giggling, his eyes going closed.

"They are kinda sexy," Sora declared with a grin before he pressed his weight forward onto Roxas again wrapping his arms around his others neck as he did so. "I'm so excited that you can be with me!" he declared happily effectively snuggling the blond to himself.

Soon the other teen was on top of him and Roxas smirked opening his eyes. "Sexy huh? As long as you're happy. I haven't exactly had a chance to look my body over yet," he said looking into the other boy's eyes. "I'm excited I can be with you too Sora."

A devilish twinkle appeared in Sora's eye. He rolled off Roxas to sit beside him. "Well then we should look your body over. For the sake of science and all. You need to strip right now so we can do that right away." The brunette was proud of himself for he managed to sound remotely serious as he declared that to his other.

Roxas gave Sora a smirk and sat up. "Oh really?" he chimed raising an eye at the brown haired boy. "For the sake of Science you say? I'm sure." the boy said mockingly as he sat up. He rolled his shirt off of his shoulders to taunt his somebody. "I guess if it's for science..." he started as his slender fingers gracefully undid his belt buckle. He undid the snap and slid the zipper of his pants down and let them rest undone on his hips. His blue eyes met the matching ones of his somebody. "Some how Sora I don't think you've earned much more quite yet."

Sora smirk matched his other halves. "But Roxas, you can't stop science. This is all for the betterment of Nobody kind everywhere." He shifted to his hands and knees so he could close the little distance between them by crawling. "Besides Roxas," his voice dropped lower to speak to his other seductively as his face stopped a few centimeters from the blonde's.

"I have to make sure that all of you is solid and real." His hand settled on the boy's bare chest and began a slow path downward as he spoke. "Every," It slid to just above his stomach. "Last." It danced lightly over his belly button and below it with the teasing of going lower. "Part," It dipped into the open jeans as Sora breathed out the last word and fastened his lips on the teen in front of him.

Ocean Blue eyes closed as tanned lips captured their owner's. A muffled coo came from the blonde's frame as the slender fingers of his partner traced down bare pale flesh. The boy moaned into the kiss, as his nimble digits slid down the other teen's body, and wrapped themselves in the yellow buckles around his legs. Experience with the obstacles before had them coming undone with ease.

While Roxas made quick work of the yellow straps on Sora's waist, he kept his somebody distracted by passionately pressing himself into the kiss, biting at the boy's bottom lip hungrily. He pressed his body to the other keybearer's as his fingers moved upwards and began to fumble with the blue belt wrapped in the brunette's pants.

Roxas pulled back for only a moment to let out a passion-filled "Sora," before going back to the boy's lips again. After undoing the teen's belt the nobody undid the snap on them and pulled the zipper down – still using the rest of his body as a distraction. Roxas was quite sure that Sora felt every motion of his fingers but that didn't stop him. He pulled the deep blue fabric free and tugged at it to give Sora the sign that Roxas wanted it gone.

"Uh Roxas," Sora said as he pulled back from the kiss with a grin. "I though you were the one who was supposed to be undressing. Not me." His eyes sparkled as his hands drifted up Roxas's body to his shoulders and then down his arms to his wrists. Lightly his fingers closed around them and pulled the offending hands away from his clothing.

He raised them so he could get a good look at them and was delighted to find the same faint tattooed designs on them as had been on the rest of the teen's body thus far. Blue locked with identical blue as his tongue flicked out to trace the lines on first one wrist then the other. When he had paid enough attention to both Sora pulled back and a mischievous twinkle filled his eye. "Now I we can't have you getting in the way of science again can we?"

Leaning forward, he pressed Roxas's wrist into the soft pillow above his head. The brunette moved his mouth to the blonde's ear and nipped the lobe lightly before speaking lowly into it. "Force." At his command his Graviga spell activated. Directed by his mind alone it increased the pressure on the blonde's hands pressing them into the pillow.

Sora could easily regulate the spell to not put to much pressure on the fragile appendages as well as maintain it for as long as he needed. Since the offending hands were now fully secure, Sora trailed his hands slowly down the blonde's arms and then his sides. His mouth, still hovering near the blonde's ear formed Sora's next words. "I don't think the subject will be giving us any more trouble." With a grin he fixed his mouth onto the sensitive spot behind the blonde's ear.

_'You devious little bastard,'_ Roxas thought smugly. _'You wanna play that way? Fine.'_ the blond mentally snapped, his lips forming into a smug grin, as he fought the coos and moans that were coming out of him. He used every ounce of his focus to stop his back from arching to Sora's touch in order to speak.

"It's only fair Sora," he spoke his voice obvious that he was fighting many urges to keep his mind on track. "Reflect." Roxas had to close his eyes to focus the reflectaga spell around the spell on his hands. The spell bounced off and to the gloved palms that were 'torturing' his sensitive sides. The blond sat up, wrapping his bare fingers around the now weighted wrists and gently lay his somebody down in the same fashion he was earlier.

Letting Sora's wrists set above his head, Roxas climbed atop the boy, straddling his hips. "I'll get in the way of science all I want. And I want that shirt off Sora," his nobody demanded. His slender fingers wrapped themselves in the fabric on the brunette's upper half and gently tugged it upwards. Roxas used great care when he pulled the shirt off of the boy, lifting it over his head and arms for him. After his 'mission' was accomplished, the blond sat atop his somebody with a smug grin.

His eyes took in the sight of every toned muscle, every inch of tanned flesh and Roxas felt his heart skip a beat. Every inch of the boy always looked so wonderful. His cheeks flushed to a rosy color as his eyes went to small seductive slits. His lips turned up into a grin to match as he leaned forward to kiss the tanned boy again. "Sora, you should know by now it's not that easy," he let out in a purr.

The brunette's mouth turned up in a grin before he pressed his lips whole heartedly to Roxas's to return the kiss. He loved it when the blond would fight back, which amounted to pretty much all the time. Their little sessions were never without the occasional tussle to see who would get their way first despite the fact they would both get their way in the end.

Sora rolled his hips up into Roxas's, a feat made easier by the fact that they were exactly the same height. Once his butt was back against the pillows he wrapped his legs around the blonde's waist. Still smiling Sora pulled away from the kiss. "Dispel," was all it took to have the spell on his wrists dissolve into nothing allowing him to wrap his arms around Roxas's neck as he leaned up to kiss him passionately. At the same time he used his legs to pull his lower half into Roxas's.

Roxas tugged at Sora's bottom lip closing his eyes for the kiss, as he countered the teen with the same amount of passion. He rocked his hips against Sora's in response grinning all the while. His slid his hands up to entangle themselves in Sora's many long spikes, playing with the boy's hair gently. Soon enough Roxas, found himself bored with just kissing, so he waited for the right moment to slip his tongue into his other's mouth.

Being half of each other had certain advantages at very convenient times. So it was really no surprise that Sora opened his mouth and flicked out his tongue to teasingly trace the blonde's lips before withdrawing it back into his own mouth with an open invitation. One of his hands trailed down the blonde's back trailing over the pale skin lightly. He dropped one of his legs to the bed so he could us it to rock his hips upward while his other leg pulled them tightly together. He wouldn't be willing to remain in the current position much longer, but for the moment he was content to enjoy the trill of pleasure from it.

It was a fight for dominance now, and Roxas wasn't about to go down without a fight. The battle began with kissing, and it always got much more complicated from there. The blond felt his back arch slightly as tanned fingers trailed their way down his spinal cord. Roxas moaned into Sora's lips, as his fingers continued to play. He felt Sora's response and made the same motion again, rocking his hips against the islander. Pressed tightly with his somebody beneath him Roxas couldn't help but inwardly grin. It was going to be a wonderful night.

Having enough of being under Roxas's, Sora dropped his other leg to the bed. Then using both legs he pushed up and sideways causing them to roll. Using his momentum, he rolled himself and Roxas's until the blond was on his back and Sora was straddling his hips. The brunette knew in a while this activity would become sentimental and gentle being it was technically their first time with physical bodies, but for now they were still playing a game he was more then willing to play. The battle continued and Roxas found himself pressed into soft pillows once again. He didn't care so much this time, as the boy had used no spells to hold him there.

Sora traced the faded blue lines along Roxas's sides with light touches. At the same time he rubbed his hips down effectively grinding his and his other's half formed erections together. He grinned at his nobody before leaning down and pressing their lips together once more. This time he forcefully thrust his tongue into Roxas's mouth without waiting for the blonde's permission.

Roxas let their little tongue war go on for a few minutes, until he has successfully lost, but found himself more than content with it. The blond pulled back, his fingers still tangled in Sora's hair, and looked into blue eyes with a look Sora knew all too well. It was the contented look of victory the brunette should have memorized by now. Roxas wasn't someone to admit defeat verbally, his body however had various - yet similar ways of displaying it.

One half of the soul gazed into the other and understood the words the blond would never say. It was alright, Sora didn't need words. They were connected much deeper then that. However it was odd, that for the first time he couldn't feel every kiss, every touch, every caress echoed back to him. He was assuming that was simply because they were no longer just sprits but now both were physically whole. Whatever the reason he found that he didn't much care since every sensation seemed to be much stronger then it had been every other time they had done this sort of thing.

His head dipped back down to the blonde's neck where he fastened his lips and began a powerful suction with the intent of marking his other. With palms pressed firmly against light skin, Sora slid his hands over pale skin lightly to tease nipples and sides just how he knew the blond like it.

"Sora" Roxas moaned out closing his eyes, his back arching to the tanned form above him as his hands moved to wrap around the boy's neck. He turned his head to the side, making his pale neck easy for the other keybearer to get at. Soft coos became louder moans full of passion and lust, as the brunette began his work. Roxas was more than ready to give himself over to this other. Sora always knew exactly what to do to get the blond to cave.

The brunette pulled away to inspect his handy work and was pleased to find a bright red splotch marring his others neck. Grinning he leaned in and kissed it lightly before scooting down Roxas's legs so he could feather a line of kisses over his chest. He traced one of the faded lines with his tongue before rapping his lips lightly around a nipple to play with it contentedly while his fingers toyed with the other one.

His free hand slid down the pale stomach and slipped beneath the fabric of the teen's boxers to drift lightly over his most sensitive area. Sora switched his oral attention the other nipple at the same time as his fingers wrapped surly around Roxas's member beneath layers of fabric. If one were to look in on them they would assume they were experienced lovers not ones who were trying out physical bodies for the first time.

o o o o

Namine was lying on the floor in the room she shared with her somebody. "They sure are loud don't you think?" Kairi asked the blond as she was busy sketching a new drawing.

"I think they're just getting started Kairi. You were the one that wanted the room right next to their's," Namine responded not looking up from her drawing.

"Yeah I know but I just wanted..."

"...to be sure that they were together?" Namine has finished the girl's words for her when Kairi stumbled on her sentence.

"Yeah. That," the princess agreed. "I didn't think we were actually right."

"Yeah well, it was obvious," the blond haired girl was much more talkative when no one but her somebody was around. "It's kinda weird to think the guys we like are screwing."

"NAMINE!" Kairi's face flushed bright red at her nobody's words while Namine looked at her with a clueless stare.

"What? They are."

o o o o

"Sora!" Roxas moaned loudly, as he felt the boy's hand travel low. He felt himself growing harder with every motion and touch his somebody made. His face flushed with color and he felt this body beginning to grow warm. His whole body was caving to Sora's every whim. It was so much different with a real body. The blond kept his eyes closed as he began to writhe beneath his somebody, his frame moving to Sora's touch. It was so different. The sensations that Roxas felt before, now felt almost completely new to him. It was almost as if were amplified. "Ooh Sora" Roxas moaned again, tilting his head to the side more, as his body arched.

o o o o

In the room to the other side of the boys, a certain silver haired someone buried his head further under a stack of pillows. There were certain things that he felt he didn't need to know about his best friend. The intimacies of his relationship with his other half defiantly qualified as one of those. So with little else he could do Riku plugged his ears and began humming 'happy' tunes to himself.

o o o o

Just the sound of Roxas moaning out his named caused Sora to grow harder and let out a little moan of his own. He found himself growing so much more impatient then he had before. More then likely it was due to the fact that this was physical and therefore much more real.

Ceasing the play of his hands and pulling his mouth away Sora sat up and slid both hands the remainder of the fabric on Roxas body. He pulled it all off, shifting when he needed to, until the blond was laid entirely bare before his eyes. Bright blue eyes took in the form of his other beneath him and he was surprised to find that those faded lines were indeed every where. Sora logged that away for later as he stood quickly and removed the rest of his clothing before rejoining his other half.

As carefully as he could he straddled the blonde's hip and lined up their now bare erections. Sora gave a tentative rock forward and let out a breathy moan at the feel of Roxas skin sliding against his intimately. Immediately he bent and fastened his mouth to his nobodies kissing him passionately. With his hips he set up a rocking motion that would brush their erections together firmly and cause him to let out a little pleasure filled moan with every rock. If he wasn't careful they would both find completion simply like this.

The blond felt the sensation of his other on top of him, as he felt his head spin. Blue eyes scanned over the naked tanned form above him and the blonde's stomach caved. "Sora You're so beautiful." Roxas spoke, sounding as if the breath was stolen from his lungs. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen his other in this state before, but something was just different.

He felt the boy set them, up, lining up their hips and when he started rocking against his own, Roxas sure enough let out little moans of pleasure. He knew that Sora was being careful. Roxas was minding his thoughts carefully too. One wrong thought and a full merge would occur. When the real 'fun' began Roxas knew he'd have to work much harder at keeping his thoughts in check

The blond moaned again. Loudly. He drew in a deep breath. "Sora take me..." Roxas moaned out as he opened his eyes. "Please," he said almost pleading. His eyes half open and begging, he locked gazes with the other boy. His lips were curved up into a pleasure filled grin.

"Shit Roxas," Sora breathed as he pulled away from his lips. He managed to slow their rocking minimally so he could at least think about doing what Roxas had just requested. His hands drifted along Roxas hips before Sora realized a rather critical problem. "I can't Roxas," he groaned out burying his face in the blonde's shoulder. "We don't have anything to use for lube." It wasn't as if they had a real need for it before. In their mind when they had needed it to be everything was suddenly all slidy and it had been painless. Sora knew neither would be true and he would not hurt Roxas on their technical first time.

A pale hand slid into brown locks to comfort the boy as Sora buried his face into the boy's shoulder. A soft whimper of disappointment came from the blond beneath the keybearer as blue eyes shone obvious confusion. Roxas felt like there were pieces to the puzzle he was missing. The only person he'd ever had sex with was Sora, and there was never any cause for worry, like Sora was fretting now. Was this to due with the fact that he had a physical body now? The blond let out small whimpers of pleading and he stroked his hand through Sora's hard trying to comfort him. "Sora Please" He cooed, trying again.

Sora moaned at the plea of his other. The blond was so needy and Sora could hardly stand not to give him exactly what he wanted. "Roxas," he said breathlessly. "I can't. I need something to use as lubrication other wise I'll hurt you badly. It's different now that it isn't in our mind." He hoped Roxas would understand. Teaching a sexual education course 101 when on top of your student wanting to do nothing more then take him as he was requesting, was not his idea of a good time. "We need like lotion or oil or something," Sora whined. He didn't want Roxas to think all hope was lost.

Roxas pouted. "Oh." he said his eyes giving Sora pouty plead as he looked up at him. He let out a sigh and let his bottom lip pout with the rest of his body. He could handle a little pain. He wasn't about to argue though. Sora wouldn't touch him if he thought there was a possibility that he might hurt his nobody so Roxas knew the argument would be pointless. Soon his lips curved upwards into a grin. "I'd say ask the girls, but it'd probably be a little awkward." the blond joked, trying to lighten the mood slightly. Well damn, maybe it wouldn't be such a wonderful night.

Grinning, Sora leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Roxas lips. "Not as awkward as it would be to ask Riku. I'm sure he has some sort of product that is slippery for his hair," he laughed before falling serious again. "I really wanted to take you," he said softly before grinning again. "Well there is always next time!" he declared, unwilling to admit that this may be their only opportunity. He would not think about the possibility that Roxas would fade away soon. "And there are other things we can do."

Roxas let out a groan. He was not about to let this just fade away. He had no idea how long this body would last, and he wasn't about to waste it. He had a guess that if they stayed in the city he'd be fine, but only god knew how long they'd be there. He eyes narrowed, and the boy soon shoved Sora off of him. "Stay. If you're too chicken to ask I'm not. I promised you I'd let you have your way with me damnit, and so help me..." he growled shifting his weight as he sat up. He quickly found his clothes, and slipped on his pants, and zipped up his black shirt. He gave his other a wicked grin, before he stormed out of the room.

o o o o

"They're awful quiet now," Kairi said looking to her nobody who was still lying on the floor drawing something.

"Roxas, probably fell asleep after Sora.."

"Namine!" Kairi shouted at her blushed again.

"What?" Namine chimed. She didn't really see the problem. If they loved each other like that, there was nothing she could do about it. Soon there was a knock on their door.

"Who could that... Roxas? What is it?" Kairi asked the boy - who looked sloppily dressed - as he stood outside her door.

"I well um..." The blond stumbled over his words; this was more embarrassing that he thought it would be. Before either one of them knew what was going on, Namine slipped into the door frame and smiled at the blue eyed boy.

"Here Roxas. Sora's waiting." She slid a bottle into his hand, drug somebody back into their room and sent him on his way.

o o o o

Roxas slipped back into their room, blushing as red as his best friend's hair. "That was awkward," he stated bluntly as he walked back to the bed, undressing himself again. He slipped back on the bed, and grinned at the other boy. "Here," he said sliding the bottle into his hands. "Happy now? Now you don't have any excuses." The blond grinned triumphantly.

"R-Roxas?!" Sora sputtered. "You just- I can't believe you just went to ask them for this," he used the bottle in his hand to motion wildly with it. All thoughts about pounding the blond into the bed were over ruled by the thought that he had just gotten up and left the room looking rather sex rumpled. On top of that he had waltzed on over and asked Sora adoptive sister for something to allow Sora to 'shove his dick up his ass', not that Roxas would have used those particular word, but still.

Roxas let out a nervous laugh. "I didn't exactly have to. Namine kinda gave it to me before I could and shoved me out of the room," he spoke hoping that would calm Sora's nerves. They were half of each other, he had more than a good guess where Sora's mind was going. "It was a little awkward."

"I'll bet," Sora agreed. He glanced down at the bottle he held in his hand. "That means she probably knew that this strawberry scented lotion was gonna go up your ass then," he said with a leer towards the blond. If anyone had said the somebody was sweet and innocent they were dead wrong. Sora set the bottle off to the side and straddled Roxas hips again. He leaned down and captured the blonde's lips as his hands began to roam trying to recapture the mood that they had half lost by this point.

Roxas let his eyes slide to seductive slits. That was the Sora he loved so much. Roxas pulled at Sora's bottom lip as they kissed and after few moments of "tug-o-war" The blond pulled back and smirked at his other. "Just fuck me damnit," he purred out in a low seductive order, as his hands danced along the tanned-boy's spinal cord.

"Oh but Roxas I don't want to fuck you," he state mischievously as he tried to resist arching into those roaming hands. Sora leaned forward and moved his lips by the blonde's ear. Instead of coming out husky and seductive like the blond may have been expecting, Sora's next words came out gentle and sweet. "I want to make love to you."

He had never been able to deny the fact that he loved his other half. It was possible that he had loved him from the first time he had seen him even if the brunette hadn't understood it. It had never just been about the physical contact it had been about so much more.

The brunette found the bottle with one hand while his lips fastened on Roxas's neck. If there was one thing he hand learned in battle it was to open a potion bottle without looking and one handed. Anything else could have quiet possibly gotten him killed. True to form the lotion was popped open and he was somehow managing to squeeze some onto his finger in a matter of moments. The teen of many talents, moved his now lotion covered hand to Roxas body.

A million different things Sora could do flitted through his mind but he knew neither he nor Roxas would last much longer, so there would be time for that later. So without any further preamble he slid his finger along Roxas's entrance slicking the area before slowly beginning to press the digit inside.

The teen closed his eyes and moaned loudly as Sora began his work. It was just the preparation but it still felt so good. His hands slid up to the boy's shoulders, and his pale fingers wrapped around the tanned skin tightly. "Sora" the first moan came out. "I love you." was the second at the brunette continued with his work. Every word of it was true. Roxas loved Sora. He didn't quite know how he did without a heart, but he did. Something told him that he did have a heart, and that, that very same heart loved Sora with every once of the love it carried.

"I love you too," Sora said softly as he leaned in to press their lips together. In no time he hand worked two fingers in and then a third gently stretching and preparing Roxas for him. His other hand had settled at the blonde's side unable to do much more then sit there while Sora did his careful work.

The brunette was sure to keep their mouths pressed together for as long as he could catching every little moan of the blonds and returning them in kind. Finally he pulled his mouth away from Roxas's and let his fingers slip from the blonde's body. "Are you ready Roxas?" he asked softly just to be certain.

A cocky sarcastic comment came to the blonde's throat but he swallowed it quickly as his whole body felt calm and ready. His eyes had returned to the half open look of victorious contentment they had before. He let out a soft coo to let his somebody know it was Ok to progress as his body settled into the soft mattress below him.

Sora smiled softly and leaned in to kiss the blond slowly. His hands found the bottle of lotion once more. Without breaking the kiss he squeezed some out into his hands and tossed the bottle off to the side. As quick as he could he spread a thorough amount over his length. When the brunette moved into position he broke off the kiss.

"Tell me if it hurts," he instructed softly figuring Roxas would do no such thing anyway. He spread Roxas's legs further apart and began to press lightly against his entrance. As Sora's length slipped into the one he loved he had to consciously remember that this was their first time in physical bodies and he needed to be patient.

Roxas began to put his mind under heavy guard - as to not think the wrong thing- when he felt his precious one enter him. Pleasured moans loudly left the small frame as Sora began. His oceanic eyes fell closed and the blonde's hands began to find their way back to Sora's hair. That was their pleasure spot. Roxas had a thing about playing with the other boy's hair. Perhaps because it was so long? "Sora" a moan came out, and the nobody's body arched. He wanted more.

"Be patient Roxas," Sora panted out. He longed to return the touch but his hands were not only covered in lotion they were necessary to support his weight. The brunette eased his way in until he was fully buried into the blond. This was as close to becoming one as they would ever allow themselves to get. If he ever lost this Sora didn't know what he would do. It was much more then just physical. It was a special kind of closeness and feeling they shared when they were like this. Now that they both had physical bodies it was much more intense.

"Roxas" Sora moaned out the name of his other much like the blond had been doing. Without really meaning to he pulled his hips backward and rock forward again. That produced a much louder moan from his throat at the feel of the motion and he couldn't stop himself from repeating the process.

The blond let out another pleasured moan, as he ran his hands through Sora's hair. He felt Sora inside him, and his stomach caved. It was a sensation of completeness Roxas longed for. A small part of the boy wanted to be whole with his other half. But Roxas would never acknowledge that small part of him. Especially not like this. It would cause undesired results for the both of them.

"Sora IloveYou" Roxas panted tilting his head back, exposing his neck to the other boy. He let his hands slid down, to behind the boy's ears, and the slender digits began to attack. Hearing his somebody, his other, his precious one, his lover, calling out for him, Roxas found himself longing for the boy even more. It wasn't the same as all the times before. Well it was, but it was different.

Roxas was finding this round of intercourse to be much more pleasurable than it had ever been. Thus his mind was on heavier guard than usual. He'd already caught himself a few times, as his mind drifted towards the train of thought to be avoided. Even though he knew he was thinking of being "figuratively whole", the blond caught himself, and pulled himself away of thinking about being "whole" with Sora at all.

These were the moments that Roxas loved. He loved them with his whole being because he got to be so close to his other. He got to feel his other in a way he knew no one else had, and a way he knew no one else ever would. But at the same time these were the times Roxas hated. He hated them with his whole being too. Why? He had to firmly chant to himself that they were two different people, they were not the same person, they never would be the same person, and that he was Roxas. He was Roxas; He was Roxas and nothing more. He knew it wasn't true, but he had to hold it true in his mind at times like these.

The offering of Roxas neck spurned Sora to attack it. He covered it in kisses and gentle suction as he continued to rock into the blond. "Love you" He moaned against pale skin. He had lost track of how many times they had told each other that but it didn't matter. A moan slipped out again as the pale fingers found a particularly sensitive spot on his body. Sora shifted his weight to one hand so that he could drag the other one down the boy's chest. Strong fingers closed slowly around the blonde's erection and began to pump it slowly. The brunette knew that he wouldn't last much longer but he didn't care.

He had never felt this close to Roxas, well with the exception of when they were one person and he never wanted to go there again. His mind spared a moment to make a note to talk to Kida about that. It was hard enough to concentrate on anything when they were like this and Sora was fairly certain Roxas was trying their hardest not to fade them together. He wished that there would be a way that they could just be them and not worry about anything of the sort.

With one last press forward Sora reached his peak and knew that the blond beneath him had as well. On boneless arms he sunk onto the other half of his soul murmuring sweet nothings. Roxas wrapped his arms around his exuberant other half and held him close adding answering murmurs to Sora's. Just for a moment both keybearers were content to do nothing more then exist beside one another.

TBC…

AN:

Kat: That is a little bit of a 13 page treat for you all. Reviews are welcomed and loved! Thanks to our 3 fabulous reviews that have already voiced their opinions. Keep them coming guys. However we do not like flames and we will ignore them. If you wanna flame take a moment to read the warning and then not read the story if you don't like it. It's as simple as that. Some of you may have figured out we will be taking this to new Disney worlds. If any one has a suggestion let us know! We might just use it.

Edit: I didn't realize my marks separating things had dissapeared... That had to be horribly confusing for some of you. They are back now for the rest of you.


	3. Chapter 3: Choices

Disclaimer: We don't own them. We only own the idea.  
Warnings: Slight language and mentions of sexual situations.

Gift of the Heart

Chapter Three  
Choices

A bit later Roxas found himself contented. The small blond was nuzzled comfortably into his other's side, with his arms wrapped around the boy's waist. The boy's head lay on Sora's shoulder, his pale lips curved upwards into a grin. Small coos came from the sleeping form as he snuggled next to his somebody unconsciously.

Like his other, Sora was tangled with Roxas and held him close. He had dozed for a bit but his boundless energy had gotten the best of him and he had fully woken up a few minutes ago. Instead of rising and bouncing about as he usually did, he found himself content to simply lay and enjoy being so physically close to his other half. One of his arms held the blond tightly. With his others he drifted his fingers lightly over the pale blue line more then a little excited that he could still be touching the teen.

A light coo came from the teen as he nuzzled the side of his face into the brunette's shoulder. "ThankYou" he spoke in his slumber, his lips still positioned in a contented grin.

o o o o

In the other room Kairi woke up, looking to see her nobody was still in a doodling state. "Did you ever stop Namine? What have you been working so hard on?"

Blue eyes looked up and smiled at the ones that matched them. "Nothing. Just doodling." she said happily, before closing the small spiral bound pad. "Do you want to go explore the city now Kairi?" The red haired girl nodded a quick smile and headed to the door. She was followed by her other, without question. Once in the hall she stopped.

"Don't worry Kairi. I'll go get Sora and Roxas. You go get Riku."

"Ok!" Both took separate directions to their locations.

There was a knock at the door, and Kairi spoke. "Riku? Are you awake?" she chimed wondering if her friend could hear her, not wanting to disturb him.

The silver haired man was more than ready for the noises to die down when they had. He had then spent the remainder of his time lying on his back in attempts to deny what his best friend and his other half had been doing. "Yes!" He called out when Kairi called for him and a moment later he was there opening the door. "What's going on?"

Kairi smiled at the sliver haired teen brightly as he opened the door. "Namine and I were going to go explore the city. Want to come?" she asked him with a chipper tone.

"Sure," Riku said with a shrug. Inside he was screaming 'YES!! Please get me away from the potential for more make out noise!' but he didn't want to sound desperate or anything. He was technical oldest of the group and therefore had a reputation to maintain.

Kairi giggled a little bit at her friend. "Well come on Riku." she smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around one of his and pulled him out of the room. "I'm sure there will be all kinds of cool things to see. I get to go exploring with you and Sora for once. It makes me so happy." she paused only for a moment. "We should ask Ms. Kida to show us around."

"That sounds good," Riku agreed allowing the young woman to pull him along. "She does seem to be in charge of this place," he told her softly.

o o o o

Namine however was not so subtle. She gave a light knock on the door before she turned the door knob and poked her head inside. "Sora? Roxas? Are you two awake?" she asked before her eyes rested on the form of the boys. Her lips only slid upwards in a smile. "Oh I see." she spoke in an innocent but seemingly understanding voice.

In their exhaustion Sora had never really thought to cover them. It hadn't really been a problem until a certain blond had opened the door. Sora had been so intent on the blond in his arms that he had failed to even hear Namine until she spoke. When she did he jumped in shock and then immediately began attempting to hide his more private bits. "Namine! I- uh- we- uh," the brunette found himself at a loss for words. What was worse was he knew the bottle of lotion was lying only a little bit away.

Namine let out a quiet giggle. She let herself in smiling at the two boys. One awake, the other still contently slumbering with his face buried into his other's shoulder. "It's alright Sora. I had an idea." she smiled at him with a knowing wink. "Kairi and I are going to go explore the city. We figured it'd be a better idea to have the whole group come. So you want to come with us?"

"Uh sure," Sora said softly. He had had an idea that she had an idea of what they were doing but that didn't make it any better. She was half of his little sister and therefore considered his little sister herself. "Could you, uh, give us a minute?" He asked shyly.

"Oh. Yeah Sure." Namine said slipping herself out of the room, to leave Sora time to tend to the sleeping blond.

Namine approached the other two smiling. "They're coming." She explained to them not pausing in the least. She headed back to her room with a smile. "I have to have my sketchbook. I might see some scenery I like." she grinned before disappearing into the room and reappearing with the spiral pad in her hands.

o o o o

Sora sighed as soon as the door had closed. Well that had been awkward and he was fairly certain his cheeks were bright red at the moment. "Roxas," he called running his hand over the blonde's back before poking him in the side. "Wake up. The girls wanna go explore. If you don't get up and they come back I'm gonna show them all your goodies!" the brunette declared poking the blond again.

"urgh... Mmmmm." Roxas let out a contented coo, nuzzling into Sora's shoulder a final time as his eyes opened to small slits. "Sora?" he cooed in question. "Can't I sleep a bit longer?" he asked having not heard the explanation for his awaking.

"Well Roxas," Sora began devilishly. "You could, but then when the girls come back I'm going to make sure they get a good clear, unobstructed view of your entire body including all the evidence of what we just did." Despite his words he wasn't making any further motions to move himself. They could both act brave but when it came down to it Sora didn't know just how long he would have Roxas physically with him.

"What?! What do you mean come back?!" he shouted setting up right quickly his eyes going wide. His face flushed red and he shot a look of embarrassed terror to his somebody. "You mean come back as in 'was here already?' Oh god..." A pale hand soon slid up into blond locks as the pale skin grew redder.

"Yeah," Sora said grinning still. "Namine was here and she got a nice view of your rear end. At least your front was pressed to me. Mine was out there for anyone to see!"

Roxas could feel the heat in his face. "I..well..um... damnit," he stuttered shifting himself out of bed. He quickly gathered up his garments and began to dress himself, flushed red the entire time.

Sora rose as well and pulled his clothing back on, doing up the various straps and belts until everything was settled as it needed to be. "She said something about exploring the city," Sora told his nobody once he was dressed. He moved over to Roxas and leaned in to kiss him deeply.

Roxas let the kiss only linger for a second before he pulled away. "Come on you. We can't keep them. Waiting." He said sending his other a glare. "Good job genius. You didn't cover us up again didn't you? You have to think about that now. I don't think I'm going to be able to look at them without blushing," he snapped fixing his belt before sliding on his bracelet and rings.

"Well I wasn't cold," Sora said defensively. He moved across the room and snagged the lotion bottle. The brunette stared at it for a moment before sliding it into one of his pockets to join the collection of other stuff there. "Hey Rox, are you sore at all?" he asked knowing that it had been both of their first times in real bodies and he didn't want Roxas walking around in pain all day.

"I'm fine Sora. Let's just go." he said taking his somebody by the hand and pulling him out the door. Even if he was sore - or developed soreness he wasn't about to tell Sora. The other keyblader worried about him far too much. Roxas tugged Sora along until the others came in sight. He felt incredibly awkward suddenly.

"Alright alright," Sora said as he followed behind Roxas. He twined their fingers together so that Roxas would understand that he was in no way shape or form willing to let go. When they stopped in front of the other three people Sora felt the awkwardness in the air, mostly coming from his other. He had never kept secrets from Riku and Kairi and he wasn't about to start now. "So Roxas and I are together," he said bluntly which received a grunt from Riku. "Now that that is out of the way, who is leading?" he asked beaming.

Namine and Kairi giggled when Roxas's face matched his collar as quickly as the words rolled off Sora's lips. "SORA-! " He blurted out glaring embarrassed darts at his lover. "A little tact?!" came quickly after his first out burst. His eyes dropped and he looked to the side. Great. Now he really didn't want to look at them. Namine was one thing but Kairi and Riku were like Sora's family. It would be like Roxas bluntly telling Hayner, Pence, Olette and Axel. - Namine too but she was there- . _'I don't believe you.'_ he hissed mentally, his face growing hot.

_'What they already know,'_ Sora shot back at the blond. _'Besides I can't keep any secrets from Riku and Kairi. You know that.'_ Apparently Roxas had gotten the shy half of them, well more shyness then Sora had. Outwardly he grinned at everyone as Riku told them they had decided they should go find Kida to lead them.

"Right!" Sora declared taking a leading position for their little group. "Let's go find us a tour guide!" he declared taking off the way opposite the way they had originally come

"Hey, oh fearless leader," Riku started as he snagged the back of Sora's hood with one hand. "Maybe you should lead us in the right direction." He stated with a bit of his old attitude back. Sora turned and smiled sheepishly. "Right, I mean let's be off!" He declared spinning and marching the other way pulling Roxas behind him. He couldn't keep the smile off his face.

_'That is not the point! You- You were the one - oh never mind. You're impossible_ Roxas thought still, blushing the color just faded slightly. He followed along as he was tugged behind his other.

Namine and Kairi giggled. "Roxas is just like Sora's personal puppy," Kairi whispered to her nobody who giggled at the comment, as they followed along behind the group.

Riku simply raised a brow at the girls. If Roxas was Sora's puppy then he must be Kairi's since she seemed to want to pull him around by the arm. Sora just grinned and kept leading them through the hallways until they ended in a large open room. Thankfully, for the brunette and the others who would have followed said brunette, he spotted the woman he was looking for standing in the room. "Kida!" He exclaimed as he released Roxas hand so he could bound over to her. "We wanna go tour the city and it would be really great if you could show us!" He declared with all of his boundless energy apparent. She simply smiled at him.

"Of course. I will show you all there is to see. Follow me," she told them with a smile as she led them to the opening that led to the streets. Sora bounded back to Roxas and took his hand again before falling into place behind her at a much calmer pace. "This is the market," Kida said gesturing to the open area in front of the building they had just come from. There were what looked like little booths and stalls set up everywhere and people bustled between them. Kida suddenly got a bright look in her eyes and spun to face the group. "Do you climb?" she asked them all.

"Excuse me?" Roxas asked back raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"What do you mean do we climb?" Kairi chimed from behind the spiky haired teens. Namine too looked at the girl with a confused expression.

She paused for a moment as she tried to reformulate her thoughts. "There is a spot where you can see all of Atlantis, but you must climb high to see it. We can climb that," she told them pointing at one of the large man like statues.

"Are you kidding me? I don't think so." Roxas said firmly pulling his hand from Sora's so that he could cross his arms over his chest.

Kida looked faintly disappointed but she carried on anyway. "If you change your mind I will take you later. Come see my people," she told them walking through the streets and deeper into the city. Sora glared at his other. _'Roxas!__ Be nice or no more sex for you!'_ he threatened mentally even though they both knew he would never be able to keep that promise.

"What?! You bastard!" Roxas blurted out aloud as his sapphire eyes narrowed. He crackled his knuckles and stormed after the white haired woman. "Lead the way. Now." he said in the same firm tone. Oh it was on now. Sora just issued a challenge in disguise. _'You're a cheating bastard'_ Roxas hissed mentally at his somebody, shooting him a glare over his shoulder quickly.

Kida blinked confused. What was it about outsiders that made them so odd? "Lead the way to what?" she asked unsure of what the blond was talking about. Sora grinned to himself when Roxas wasn't looking. He knew exactly how to rile his blond and he also knew how to calm him later.

Behind them Riku shook his head and sighed. "I don't want to know," he muttered to himself.

"That thing. The thing you were talking about earlier," he spat out not sure if he was making sense, and definitely not caring. He wasn't paying that much attention to Sora now, because he was more focused on completing this little challenge. Ooh he'd get Sora back. If he wanted to play hard ball, Roxas would play.

Kairi looked up at Riku and sighed. "We're not honestly going to climb all the way up there are we? I mean it doesn't look safe Riku."

"Follow me," Kida said softly as she led the way to the base of one of the statues. Once they neared it they could see that it was covered in vines and cracks that would provide for decent hand holds. "I can lead if you like." She offered. Sora completely ignored her and charged to the large rock statue. There was now a decided competition between him and Roxas. He didn't pause as his hand snagged one hand hold and he began his climb.

Riku shook his head as he stared at the two before answering Kairi. "No we aren't going to. We're going to allow them to get this out of their system before we can see the rest of the city."

"Cheater!" Roxas proclaimed aloud charging after his other. He too hooked his hand around the vines, and began to climb. He tugged and pulled his body higher, trying to catch up to Sora and failing. The boy was strong and Roxas of all people knew that all too well. "Sora! Just you wait..." he hissed sliding his foot to get a grip, his words were cut short when he felt his tennis shoe slide instead of stick. _'Shit'._ He cursed mentally clenching his hand tighter as he tried again. His other foot slipped and before Roxas knew it he was holding on by his upper strength alone. 'Damnit all' he hissed again, as he struggled to find his footing. The blond could feel his hands growing sweaty as they started to slip.

"Roxas!" "Sora do something!" Kairi and Namine shouted as they watched the blond begin to lose his footing. They watched helplessly as their friend struggled not to fall, however Kairi quickly shoved Riku forward, when the blond slipped again, cursing aloud. Roxas shouted for his other when he began to fall, and Kairi shouted at Riku to help the boy.

Riku moved forward to put him self into position to catch the teen when he fell. Besides that there was really nothing more he could do.

At the girls yells Sora turned to glance at his other. "Roxas!" He shouted as he saw the blond start to slip. Sora raised his arms above him and pulled himself up so that his legs were positioned beneath him. He let go with on hand to turn and look at Roxas again. "Roxas!!" he screamed in near panic as he saw the blond slip.

Sora didn't pause to think. He gathered his strength and pressed off with his legs angled towards the blond. In one hand he called to oblivion and it formed obediently into his fingers. The other arm stretched towards the blond. If Sora hadn't been able to push off he never would have reached Roxas. As it was he barely managed to snag the blond around the middle. The moment he did he smashed his keyblade against the rock attempting to catch them and if that failed then at least slow them.

Seeing them coming closer to the ground Riku backed a few steps and then leapt into the air. His body slammed into the falling boys shoving them all sideways instead of down. The older boy managed to twist so that when they smashed into the ground Riku took the brunt of the fall onto his own body. Even so the three went sprawling in a tangle of limbs with the keyblade clattering away.

Roxas opened his eyes slowly seeing a blur of color before they focused on the worried faces of Namine and Kairi. "Roxas! Sora! Riku! Are you alright?!" the two girls chimed out in unison. Roxas sat up slowly and looked down to see Riku underneath him and Sora to his side. He let out a pained moan and got off of the taller boy quickly. "Thanks guys," he said sheepishly looking at the ground.

Sora groaned as he rolled off his best friend. "That was more then enough adventure for me for one day," he moaned out as he popped his back. "Thanks Riku," he said glance back to the teen to see his bright emerald eyes closed in pain.

Riku slowly sat up, opening his eyes as he did. He glanced to his arm where a rather sharp looking rock protruded from soft flesh. Slowly Riku closed his fingers around the rock and he took a deep breath before jerking it out. The offending rock went flying as he threw it and covered the blood oozing wound with his other hand.

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed seeing his friend's injury.

"I'm fine Sora," Riku said through gritted teeth.

Suddenly Kida was there and shoving Riku's hand away from the wound. Her delicate fingers lifted the glowing crystal at her neck close to the area. She held it there until it looked as if Riku's skin itself was glowing blue. She then dropped it before pressing her hand tightly on the wound. Riku let out a small hiss of pain as she did so. A moment later she removed her hand, leaving a glowing blue hand print in her wake. It faded quickly leaving nothing more then smooth unmarred skin behind. "I am sorry. I did not know this would happen." She said softly.

"Riku! Are you Ok?!" Kairi blurted out wrapping her arms around the boy's neck in a fit of worry. "That was so brave Riku! I'm sorry I shoved you." she sounded again, holding onto the boy tightly.

Roxas let out a sigh. That was enough adventure for him. It was like falling off the clock tower all over again. Both times he managed to escape certain death...somehow. "Sora? Roxas?" Are you Hurt?" Namine chimed in looking over the two keybearers.

"I'm alright Namine. Sora and Riku made sure of that." Roxas tried to comfort her before he looked to Kida. "It's alright. No need to apologize. You didn't know anymore than we did. It's ok."

She nodded at the blonds words. Sora on the other hand was in awe. He completely ignored Kairi and Namine as he shuffled over to Riku and pressed his fingers against where the boy's wound had been. "How?" Sora asked looking at her.

"These crystals have the life force of my people. They are tied to the heart of Atlantis. The heart is life so they can bring healing. Among other things," she explained softly.

Sora turned his attention back onto Riku before turning it back to Roxas. "Roxas!" he declared before sporadically launching himself at the blond. "I was so worried about you!! I thought I was going to loose you!!" He wrapped his arms about the teen and buried his face in Roxas's neck.

Roxas let out an awkward sounding chuckle before her wrapped his arms around the other boy. He slid his hand into Sora's hair, knowing how to calm him. "I'm fine Sora. You and Riku made sure of that. Besides it's not like I haven't fallen off of tall things before. If you hadn't been able to do anything, I'm sure Riku would have caught me."

Sora didn't reply as he pulled Roxas close to him nuzzling into his neck lightly. He heard the rustle of clothing that signal Riku rising to his feet. "Since there are not any heartless here maybe we should move on to another world," the silver haired man stated. Sora didn't reply he simply tightened his hold on the blond not wanting to think about what leaving could be.

Roxas returned the hold to his other trying to reassure the boy that he was indeed OK. A little shaken up but all around OK. "Sounds good to me Riku." Roxas smiled, patting Sora on the back. In the back of his mind he screamed a loud 'No! Are you insane?!' but didn't say anything. He was sure that if he left the world he would fade back within Sora. In fact he knew if he left the city he would fade back within Sora. The heart it's self had told him so. But instead of voicing his worries the blond boy smiled a fake smile and agreed.

Oblivious to the unspoken words of the two, Riku nodded his confirmation. "Did you happen to find a small craft that doesn't look like it belongs here?" the silver haired teen asked Kida. She nodded and told them that it was being brought to the center of town and she would lead them there.

Sora knew that his best friend was right but he couldn't stop the flaring of panic and pain that appeared at the thought Roxas would no longer be with him. Some of that must have reflected in his eyes because Riku gave him an apologetic look before gently grabbing both Kairi and Namine's arms with the excuse of helping them over the rough terrain. He gently guided them away giving the other two some time to themselves.

"Riku! What about Sora and Rox-" Kairi started to say before Namine gave her a firm look. "Oh." she said still getting used to the idea of the two keybladers being intimate.

o o o o

It only took Sora a moment to figure out that words would be very ineffective. Instead he quickly captured the blonde's lips in a passionate kiss to tell him with lips and tongue what his words could never say.

Roxas leaned into the kiss and gave it everything he had. Now that the others were gone and it was only him and Sora he allowed a more fragile side of himself to show. Soon enough Roxas broke the kiss and looked into Sora's eyes with a look of fear. "Sora." the boy started as his eyebrows pushed upwards knitted with worry.

"Sora, I don't want to leave. If we leave..if we leave... if leave I'll.." he started not wanting to think about going back to the way it once was before. "I know I'm selfish for not wanting to live my life the way I'm supposed to. I know I'm selfish for wanting to exist but...But...Sora.. I .." the blond shook in the keybearer's arms and soon pulled him as close as possible burring his face into the boy's shoulder in a vain attempt to hide from the world. "Sora if we leave I'll fade back into you! I know that's just how it has to be, but I don't want that. I want to be able to hold you! I want to be able to really feel you!!" the blond teen shouted into his other's shoulder before letting out a disgruntled coo and nuzzling against the boy.

Sora echoed perfectly everything that Roxas had described. "I don't want you to fade either. You deserve your own life," he said with a hint of a sob coloring his voice. "I wish we could stay here forever, but we can't. I promised the king…" Sora trailed off brokenly as he found himself torn between the other half of his heart and a promise that he had made. Neither option would be an easy one to chose.

Roxas pulled away and sighed. His eyes looked at Sora, torn and broken. "I know Sora. It's ok. It's not like I'll be completely gone." he smiled half heartedly as a single tear rolled down his pale cheek. His words were fake and trying to see the best of things. Roxas was always a poor liar. He could never pretend very well either. "Sora, before I fade away again. This time let me say it. 'I love you and Good-bye' " he spoke in a mournful tone, stroking a hand gently down the boy's face before leaning forward to kiss him once again.

Sora jerked back from the kiss with tears rolling from his eyes. "No! Not good-bye!" he said fiercely. "You'll be with me always, and we can come back here anytime and you can have your own body again right?" He was desperate to hear that they could, that this wasn't a one time deal.

Roxas shook his head, his bangs falling in his eyes as the tears rolled down his cheeks in heavy streams. His small frame trembled in Sora's hands and he tried to keep his composer as he spoke. The blond failed as every word came out shaking. "Sora no. No Sora. Please don't do that to me. This is hard enough." the blond looked up at his other with eyes filled with an intense pain he'd never felt before. It felt as if his heart was shattering with every word.

"I love you Sora. I love you so much. But please don't make me give you up again. Don't let me be yours to only take it all away again. It's not that easy. You'll always be whole, but Sora, it doesn't work like that for me. How would you feel if you were given a body for a day only to have it taken away? I don't want to have life pulled in and out of my hands. So please Sora, if you're going to do this we can't come back here. It's Ok Sora. I'll always be with you. Always." he spoke the tears growing heavier blending with his voice the more he spoke. When he finished Roxas gave Sora a sad smile and ran off after the others, the tears flowing behind him.

The brunette choked back a sob as he watched the other half of his heart run after his friends. Roxas was right. He had taken away the nobody's existence accidentally before he was not doing it again. Riku and Kairi were strong they would be alright without him, and if they needed him they could always come get him and he could do whatever they needed and then return to Roxas. That sounded like a feasible plan to the teen. With it in mind he wiped away the remainder of his tears and took off at a dash after his friends.

A/N's:

Kat: Gah! So sorry this took way longer then intended. Both Kira and I suffered major computer trouble. Hers was saveable mine came out the other side with a new hard drive and none of my files. Thankfully Kira still had the raws, we just had to wait until her computer was fixed and she could give them to me. No worries the story still lives and goes on! Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter RoxasTheOther and KiraLacusForever. We are always excited to get them so keep them coming!

Edit: Ah! All my formating dissapeared! Fixed now... I think...


	4. Chapter 4: Radiant Garden

Disclamer: We do not own Kingdom Hearts only the ideas.  
Warnings: Mentions of sexual situations and language.

Gift of the Heart

Chapter Four  
Radiant Garden

Roxas began to pull himself together once Riku and the others became more visible. He dropped his head and hunched his posture in an attempt to hide his crying eyes. He knew Sora all too well. He knew that the boy would try to stay for him, but Roxas wasn't about to let him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked slowly behind the others.

"Roxas? Are you alright?" Namine chimed when she watched the boy appear amongst them. He only nodded.

"Are you sure?" Kairi chimed in. He nodded again. The girls were sure that this was one of those 'don't pick at it times' and dropped the topic.

Riku said nothing when Roxas caught up with them, nor did he say anything when Sora caught up with them and slipped one of his hands into the blonde's pocket to twine his fingers with the hand hidden there.

If Kida had noticed anything going on she didn't comment on it either as she led them up to the platform that the heart of Atlantis floated above. Resting there was the little ship that detached from the gummy ship and allowed them to go down to the planet. Luckily they had been in that when they had crash landed. Their gummy ship was much larger and would have been much harder to get off the world. Once on top of the platform Kida turned to them smiling. "My people found this and brought it here. It is yours?" she asked them kindly.

"Sure is." Kairi smiled.

"That would be what Sora crashed us in." Namine giggled smiling at the white haired woman. Roxas said nothing and only kept his head down. He felt Sora's hand slid into his pocket and did nothing. The boy was so warm, so kind, so gentle. He was going to lose this all again and this time Roxas knew it wasn't just some dream conjured up for him. His posture stayed hunched as he refused to look up. Before too long, Roxas lost his composer again and was a mess of tears.

When Sora's normal retort of denial at crashing didn't come Riku looked to the teen. He found blue eyes fixed intently on the form of the blond before they rose and locked with green. There was a understanding that passed between them and Riku understood what Sora's plans were. No matter how much had happened or how much time they had spent apart they were still best friends and still some how able to understand each other. Riku nodded his acceptance and Sora opened his mouth as if he was going to say something.

He was cut off as Kida stepped forward and began speaking. Being Sora he was too polite to interrupt her. "I assume you will be leaving then?" She asked and then continued without waiting for an answer. "Then I will give you these," she pulled out two of the crystal necklaces identical to what she wore. "They are a piece of the heart of Atlantis for you to take with you. As long as you wear them what the heart has done cannot be undone." Kida stepped forward and slipped first one over Namine's head and then the other over Roxas.

The boy's eyes went wide as he felt the small thin string rest on his neck. "W-What?" He stammered out his voice full of tears. His fingers came from his pocket and wrapped around the small blue jewel. The boy lifted his head, tear stained eyes for all too see as he locked his gaze on the small blue rock. "You mean this little thing will keep me like this? Forever?" he chimed, his voice sounding dumbstruck and full of awe. It couldn't possibly be that easy. So as long as it was around his neck he would be able to be with Sora forever?

The tears started up again, this time filled with an unfounded joy. A look came to the boy's face that he quite frankly didn't care if the others saw. Quickly Roxas grasped Kida's hands within his own and locked gazes with her overjoyed. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea what you've done for me. I don't know what to say. "

Sora was much less calm about the entire ordeal. He released a whoop and jumped at Kida. He wrapped her up in his arms muttering "Thank you," over and over. As quickly as he had hugged her he let go, turned and swept Roxas into his arms. He didn't care that his friends were five feet away or that anyone could be watching. It didn't stop him from pressing his lips eagerly to the blonde's for a quick moment before pulling back and composing himself minimally.

Kida laughed at the entire display. "It will keep you like that for as long as you wear it," she told Roxas. Then she smiled at them all, "You are welcome here at any time."

Riku simply thanked her and shook his head. If this was any indication of how eventful this trip was going to be he didn't think he would survive it. One could only keep up with the entity that was Sora for so long and they had just added two more members to their little troop. Riku would have been lying if he said he hadn't felt left out.

Namine played with the jewel around her neck and she too felt one stray tear roll down her cheek. Before she knew it Kairi hugged her nobody tightly smiled brightly. "Namine! Isn't that great?! You can stay with us now! You can Roxas can be with us now! That's so cool!" she announced happily as the blond girl returned the hug.

Roxas wrapped his arms around Sora as soon as Sora did him. He couldn't stop smiling, and he couldn't stop crying either. "Sora, Sora Sora I can be with you forever now. I can be with you forever!" he said the words jumbled and filled with excitement. "Sora I can be yours forever!!" the blond teen shouted his voice filled with an unmatched joy as he embraced his other tightly burying his face into the boy's shoulder.

Kairi smiled at Riku, excited that her other friends could be with them and soon hugged the sliver haired teen out of excitement. She watched the keybearer's display and couldn't help but be happy for them. "Riku isn't this great?!"

Riku smiled and hugged her back. "Of course it is." He really did want them all to be happy. He wouldn't mind the addition of two more altogether that much, but he knew he needed to get this show on the road or they would never leave this world.

"You already were!" Sora exclaimed in response to Roxas statements laughing out his joy with his other. He was going to say something further when Riku's voice cut through.

"Say your goodbyes we need to get on our way," the silver haired teen stated evenly as he pulled out of Kairi's embrace and moved over to the ship.

Sora knew Riku was right but he had already slipped into his exuberant bouncy mode. True to form he bounded back to Kida. "Thanks so much for everything! If you need anything or heartless ever show up call us right away!" he declared hugging her tightly again. She nodded her agreement and Sora released her to turn and look at his group. His eyes fell on the other blond and it was as if he had just realized she existed. "Namine!" He exclaimed bouncing over to her and pulling her into his arms before she could do anything about it. He spun her in a circle beaming. "You get to come with us too! I'm so glad!"

Namine laughed brightly as Sora spun her around. "Sora! Stop that I'm going to get dizzy." she giggled, and smiled at the boy when he sat her down. Roxas ran to Namine, taking her hands into his and pulled her quickly from Sora and to him, as the tears of joy continued to fall. He was so happy he wanted to share it with everyone.

"Namine! We're real now! We're real!" he shouted excited as he scooped the girl into his arms grinning like crazy. He beamed at his other and then looked to Kairi. "Come on guys and let's get this show on the road! We've got places to go and world's to explore!!" the nobody shouted sounding a little too much like Sora when he did.

Kairi giggled running up behind Roxas and she smiled. "You sound like Sora. I'm so happy for you Roxas!" she shouted before she ran over to Sora giving him a tight hug. "And you too Sora! I'm so happy for you both!"

Riku gazed at his four overly exuberant friends and sighed while rubbing his temples. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for them, he was. It was just that instead of two slightly energetic teens to travel with, the number had just doubled. Worse, it seemed that they all feed off each other so when one was excited the other three were bound to get excited.

"Thanks again," he told Kida before opening the ship and climbing inside. He settled into the main pilot seat, there was no way he would let one of the hyper teens pilot, and began to start up the little craft.

Sora hugged Kairi back and thought about initiating a happy group hug but that thought was stilled by the sound of the craft humming to life. "We'd better go," he told the happy little group. He wouldn't put it past Riku to take off without them. The brunette snagged Roxas hand and pulled him towards the craft. "There are only three seats so you'll have to sit on my lap. He declared with a grin as he climbed into the craft tugging the blond after him.

The blond clumsily fell into Sora's lap as he sat down and Roxas grinned wrapping his arms around the boy's neck for support. "Sora" was the only thing he could get out before the doors closed and Kairi sat down, tugging Namine into her lap in the same fashion.

The young Princess turned her head to her side. "Sora, we should go visit some place to fix up the gummi ship so it's ready for more people. Do you know anyone who could do that?" She asked the brunette with a curious look in her eyes before turned to playfully glare at her other. "Namine, do you have to doodle now? I mean... "

"Kairi, Sora and Roxas are the perfect picture right now and I absolutely cannot pass that up." she explained with a smile.

Absently the brunette answered Kairi. "Yeah we gotta go to Radiant Garden and see Cid," he declared without turning his attention from the blond in his lap.

Riku noticed them all from the corner of his eye and sighed. It really was going to be a long trip. As he worried about safely raising the small craft off the ground and maneuvering back into space to dock with their slightly larger gummi ship he found it a bit easier to ignore every one.

Sora found himself torn between expressing intense excitement at the prospect of taking Roxas everywhere and expressing his deep joy that he could have the boy with him always. As always his excitement won out. "Just think of all the things I can show you and we can do now! You can met Leon and Cid and Cloud and all my other friends! We can have friendly spars with Leon and Cloud and I bet we'll win hands down! Then we can go to other worlds and see all the other people I met! I can't wait to see what you look like in Atlantica, or the Pride Lands, or even Halloween Town! It's going to be so cool!"

Kairi and Namine giggled at the boy as he started his normal cheer-filled bursts of energy. Roxas however sighed resting his hands on the other boy's shoulders. "Sora." he said firmly, as he had regained his composer once they had left the world and rejoined with the gummi ship. "Take a deep breath and calm down. It's ok." he said still trying to unjumble the words the spiky haired teen had just slurred out.

"One step at a time Sora. Take a deep breath." he spoke again shifting his gave to Riku. "Riku? Where to? You guys have a mission to do for the king, so why don't you just fly us there, and I'll keep Sora quiet?" he suggested the plan to the older boy assuming he would appreciate the sanity.

Riku just rolled his eyes and was the first to hop out of the smaller craft and into what appeared to be the hanger of the bigger one. "Kairi is right, we are going to need a bigger gummy ship," he said calmly. "I'll fly us to Radiant Garden like Sora suggested and we'll talk to his friend Cid there. Sora why don't you show Roxas the ship?" Riku suggested eager to have the exceedingly hyper teen out of his way for a while.

"Alright!" Sora agreed as he shifted Roxas off his lap and leapt from the small craft. "Come on Roxas! I'll show you the whole ship!"

"Everything but the main cockpit," Riku said sternly not wanting the brunette to get in his way. Sora stuck out his tongue at his best friend but relented anyway.

Roxas smiled at his other as he laced their fingers together. He couldn't help but smile, the boy always had so much energy when he got excited. His gaze shifted from Sora to the two girls and then to Riku. "Don't worry I'll keep him busy, you just get us there in one piece." he teased before he shifted his attention back to his other. "Alright Sora, I'm all yours lead the way. It should be different finding my way around, myself."

Sora grinned at the implication that 'all yours' carried. He burst through the door leading to the rest of the gummie ship pulling the blond along behind him.

Riku shook his head at them and headed off the other direction. "You guys can join me if you like or Kairi can show you around Namine," he told the girls before he headed out of the room towards the cockpit. He slipped into the room and took the main pilots chair. His fingers flew over the familiar console as he entered the coordinates of Radiant Garden.

"I'll show you around when it's not flying Namine. I want you to see the stars!" Kairi said dragging her Nobody to follow Riku. "I've got my sketchbook ready Kairi, I'm sure there's a picture that needs to be drawn." Kairi giggled at the blond girl.

o o o o

"This is the hallway," Sora said excitedly as he pulled the boy down it. "And this," he said opening a door. "Is my room." Sora pulled his other half inside the room. The room itself was simple with just a bed and a large dresser. Sora's clothing were scattered all over the room. Although it was simplistic it was defiantly the room of Sora.

Roxas visibility twitched at the mess - not that he was ever much better. "No Sora." he said as his eyes scanned around the room, and ended when they met with matching blue. He wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and pulled him close. "This is our room." he grinned smugly, moving forward to kiss the boy quickly. "They better make it bigger, cause it's awful small for two people." He stated looking around again, letting Sora go and moving over to set down with an ungraceful plop on the bed. "I just really don't think it's big enough." he smirked at his other.

"Defiantly not," Sora agreed with a grin before he pounced on his other half. His momentum pushed the blond back onto his back and Sora straddled the blonde's hips triumphantly. "The first thing they are going to make bigger is this bed," he stated with a grin before leaning down to capture the blonds lips.

Any plans he had for them were foiled by Riku's voice coming over the speaker system. "We're going to warp and will be there in approximately 15 minutes. Be ready to disembark then." Sora knew that was the silver teen's way to say 'keep your clothes on boys' and he groaned into the kiss.

"So Sora?" the blond chimed looking up at his other as he broke the kiss Sora had caught him in. "Any plans on how you're going to explain me to your friends?" he started giving the boy a shove gently to show he needed to set up. "I just have a feeling that telling them I'm your nobody and lover is not a good idea." Roxas paused again. "Seeing as you just fought so hard with their help defeat the Organization, I don't think telling your friends you're fucking the thirteenth member is a good plan."

Sora rolled off the blond to sprawl on the bed beside him while he thought about it. "I don't know Roxas. I mean you're the other half of my heart. Cloud at least has to know what that means. At least I think he does. He always said he was looking for his light. I think he would be happy to know I found mine." The brunette settled his hand over Roxas as he tried to come up with a good excuse for why Roxas was there.

Roxas heaved out a sigh and remained lying on his back for only a moment before he sat up. "It's more complicated than you thought it would be huh?" he sighed, eyes drifting down and pale finger playing with the small blue jewel around his neck. "Maybe that's what he always meant when he said I 'didn't have the right to be'?" the boy paused and looked over his shoulder to the boy to his side.

"I mean you could always tell them I'm just another friend you always hung out with on Destiny Islands, or met in Twilight Town, but once I draw a weapon that's shot. They're going to get suspicious quick when I start using keyblades." Roxas heaved another sigh and paused to think, dropping his eyes to the floor. Soon a stray thought crossed his mind and he grinned, looking back at Sora. "I mean Sora, they're going to wanna know why I handle those weapons better than you!" he teased the boy playfully grinning.

Sora didn't give into the teasing. He wrapped his fingers around Roxas hand that was playing with the jewel. "You have just as much right to exist as I do. I'm not going to lie to them. I'll tell them you are my nobody and that you are on our side now. They are my friends. They'll understand." At times Sora had an almost childlike trust that he placed in his friends, one of those times was now. He really did believe that his friends would believe him and even accept Roxas.

Roxas smiled at the boy and his eyes shone with a sense of Trust Sora would understand more than anyone. "Alright Sora. But I have one stipulation if you want to tell them the truth." the blond started, his voice firm but trusting. "I'll do it. I should be the one to tell them what I am," he said consciously using the word 'what' instead of 'who'. He had gotten very used to being treated as nothing more than a thing without and identity and there was a fear in the pit of his stomach that it was going to happen all over again.

o o o o

Kairi grinned as her nobody scribbled pictures down quickly until she finally dropped the sketchpad to the floor and was clung to the window of the cockpit. "Kairi it's so pretty! What's that?! " she asked excited like a small child.

Kairi stood and walked behind the blond girl and smiled. "That would be our destination Namine."

Riku smiled at the young women as he pressed the intercom button to Sora's room again. "We have arrived and will be heading down planet side," he informed them before releasing the button. He keyed in a few different strokes before the screen in front of him showed that he had open communications with the world below. "This is the Keyblade Express," Riku started wincing at the name Sora had come up with for their gummie ship. "Requesting permission to dock."

"Sora?" came the answering gentle female voice.

"No this is Riku but Sora is on board." He wanted to add the obvious 'what was your first clue this is Sora's ship' but he refrained.

There seemed to be a scramble of noise and voices before the voice of a calm male came over the speaker. "You have permission to dock in dock three. We will meet you there," the voice sounded as if it was speaking more to the people in the room with him since there came the sound of movement shortly after.

Riku sighed. He had only seen Sora's friends from afar and they looked like an interesting bunch. Carefully he guided their ship into the atmosphere of the planet and docked it at the ordered dock without too much trouble. As expected there were people waiting just outside presumably to greet them. Riku sighed. This was going to be a longer trip then he ever could have imagined.

o o o o

Sora nodded solemnly at Roxas words. He didn't mind if Roxas was the one who told his friends as long as his friends were told the truth. At the sound of Riku's voice he leapt off the bed. "Come on Roxas! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!" With that he sprinted to the door, opened it and dashed down the hall. He figured Roxas would follow at his own pace.

As soon as he felt the ship settle he was the first one out the door and onto the dock outside where he was pleased to see some of his friends gathered. It took more effort than he thought he possessed but he managed to compose himself and walk out normally. However no amount of composure kept the wide grin from his face.

All eyes were on the children that came out of the small craft, but were confused on seeing five teens instead of three. Sora, Riku, Kairi… wait who were the other two? Cloud crossed his arms and smiled at the teenagers as they all piled out of the ship. He said nothing, the look on his face should have been enough. He never was one to be good with words.

Cid was chewing on a toothpick with his arms crossed. "Lighten up Cloud," he said to the spiky haired man, and shifted his attention to Sora. "Sora m'boy. What brin's ya here? There ain't no'probl'm with yer ship is the'r?" he asked the spiky haired teen, not worried about the new comers. He just figured that Sora picked up more friends. The kid had a habit of doing that, although they had strange markings on them.

Yuffie wasn't nearly as subtle as the others were. "Sora!" she shouted gleefully racing over to the boy happily hugging him tightly. "I'm so happy to see you!" she announced happily releasing the teen soon enough and looking the others over. "You're Riku I bet." she smiled looking at the tallest of the five. "And you're Kairi." she smirked at the burgundy haired girl. "I hear Sora likes you." she teased causing the girl to blush.

Namine giggled at the comment and looked to the group. Before the ninja girl could ask who Roxas and Namine were the blond girl spoke. "I'm Namine. Who are you?" she asked kindly holding her sketch pad to her chest. She knew all too well from rearranging Sora's memories, but thought it polite to ask.

"Oh I'm the great Ninja Yuffie!" she declared proudly, receiving a knowing look from Cloud and Cid. "What?!"

"I'm Cid, little missy and the grumpy one back here is.."

"Cloud."

Roxas didn't say a word. He was building up the courage in the pit of his stomach to utter the words. He stood at Sora's side, holding his hand tightly. The other boy was sure to know that Roxas was nervous. They all seemed like such a lively bunch. He had a longing feeling that he needed to be friends with these people, but he figured that was an echo from Sora. The blond stood in silence, much like Cloud, just for a different reason. He waited for Sora, before he was even going to speak.

"I'm Aireth," the female with the gentle voice that had answered Riku's initial call stated. She then gestured to the male and female beside her. "This is Leon and Tifa." Riku nodded his greeting to them all. Sora for his part couldn't hold himself back any longer.

"Naw the ship is perfect Cid. We just kinda need some upgrades! Cause there is more of us now! I'm so excited to see you guys! Has everything been quiet here?" he asked.

Leon nodded his confirmation of Sora's words. "Everything has been quiet lately," even though he was speaking to Sora his eyes were locked on the blond. As far as he was concerned it never boded well when someone wasn't introduced.

Aireth fell immediately into her role as the mother of the group. "Well let's all go have some dinner and we can talk about everything that has happened," she suggested with a smile. She 

looked almost like a mother hen gathering her chicks as she shooed them all back to the base of operations.

The blond felt the eyes lock onto him and he swallowed hard. He clenched on to Sora's hand tightly as he forced the words out. "I'm Roxas." He said planting his feet, pulling back on Sora's hand wanting to get this out of the way now. It was already awkward enough. He felt at least three sets of eyes fall on him. Three more anyways. The one called Leon, had been staring at him the whole time anyways. He felt his stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot and he sighed. "I'm Sora's …." he started choking on the word. He looked to Sora with obvious worry in his eyes. His fingers wrapped around Sora's hand as if the boy was his life line. The boy was his life line.

"Sora's what?" Yuffie sounded looking at the blond boy curiously. "You're awful shy. You kinda remind me of Cloud, kid." she smirked looking over her shoulder at the other blond man. He only shrugged it off and moved to follow Aireth.

Leon narrowed his eyes at the blond. If he was this reluctant to state how he was related then that made him both suspicious and not at the same time. Sora glanced over at Roxas. _'Do you want me to tell them?'_ he thought towards the blond hoping that their once strong mental connection still held true.

Tifa punched Leon lightly in the arm. "Come on Leon lighten up. Let's go before Aireth comes back for us," she instructed softly. Leon ignored her and continued to fix his gaze on Roxas.

Roxas gulped felling the man's eyes on him. He dropped his eyes and stared at the floor. Maybe if he didn't look at him it would be easier. That man had such a piercing gaze. _'No Sora. I said I would, so I will,_' he thought back to the teen, feeling a little more confident just from the sound of Sora's voice- but it didn't help all too much. "I'm Sora's Nobody." the blond blurted out suddenly, quickly spilling out the words to just get it over with. He stood closer to Sora, holding his whole arm tightly almost standing behind him.

Kairi and Namine looked at Roxas and smiled sympathetically. Namine stepped forward and smiled at the group. "I'm Kairi's Nobody as well." the blond girl explained gracefully. She reached a hand down and Kairi took the sign, wrapping her fingers in the other girl's. Perhaps that would help Roxas feel more secure.

Leon simply nodded. "I thought as much," he said simply before turning and heading the way Aireth had gone.

"I think that means welcome," Tifa said with a smile. "Sometimes that man is as difficult to understand as Cloud is, I swear," she muttered to herself.

"Come on," Riku called over his shoulder after them.

"See?" Sora whispered triumphantly and he tugged Roxas along after them. "I told you it would be alright." There was an unmatchable grin spread across the brunette's face.

_'But you still have to tell them the whole lover's thing too. Not kissing you just cause I'm afraid of getting caught will suck' _Roxas protested. His stomach still felt woozy as he didn't think it could be that easy.

Yuffie grinned at the boys smugly. "So does that mean he uses the Keyblade too?" she asked following after the others walking backwards.

"Yes. I can use keyblades," Roxas answered her, still clenching on to Sora's hand tightly.

"So does that mean you need a few more rooms Sora?" Cid asked the boy grinning at the chance to do more work on the Gummi ship. "Cause if that's all ya need for her, I can fix'er up in no time."

A wide grin spread across Sora's face. Cid had just presented him with the greatest opportunity. "Well Cid we might need one more if Namine wants her own room. I just need my room a bit bigger, maybe another dresser, oh and a much bigger bed would be nice!" He said with a grin. Riku who was only a few strides ahead of them heard that declaration and let out a groan.

Namine giggled knowing where Sora was going with his statement. "Oh that's fine Sora. I don't mind rooming with Kairi. She's pretty much like a sister."

Kairi smiled equally as pleased as her other. "Agreed. Namine can room with me."

Roxas blushed red at Sora's words, and brighter upon Riku's groan. Cid raised an eyebrow at the teen in confusion. "You sure Sora? I think your 'friend' might want a room to himself. I mean I assume he spends an awful lot of time with you, don't you think he wants some time alone?"

"Nope!" Sora declared confidently. "He just told me earlier that my room was our room now! I'm sure!" Sora really wasn't meaning to embarrass his other half. Like most times he was simply speaking before his brain really had a chance to think things through. "We will need other things enlarged though," he said thoughtfully. "Like the dining hall and the cockpit. Oh and the small ship that we take down to the worlds! That needs to be a bit bigger too! And you can always put on anything else that is new and cool!"

"I see. Whatever you want kiddo. We'd best be gittin' to Aireth before she starts throwin' a fit." Cid said looking at the two raising an eyebrow. There was something the boy was leaving out and that wasn't like Sora.

_'Sora!! Tact! Tact!! We talked about this before!_' Roxas chanted so only his somebody could hear him

'_Well I could have told him exactly why I want a bigger bed,'_ he told the blond as he picked up the pace. _'As a matter of fact maybe I should tell him that I need a big enough area to properly pleasure you on, just to make sure he gets a big enough one,'_ he mused mentally with a leer.

At the house that had long ago become their base of operations Aireth had already moved inside and was busily moving about the kitchen. She was used to the men wandering in slowly so it didn't really bother her that they were taking their time. However as each one set foot into the house she would know and immediately would snatch them up and put them to work, unless they were a guest. All guests got seated at the table while everyone else worked.

Roxas's face matched his collar in tone. _'Sora! Must you be so blunt?!_' he shouted embarrassed at his other. Soon enough he was ushered to a seat with the rest of his comrades as everyone else seemed to be put to work. He sat down next to Sora and Namine smiling, still blushing slightly. Namine was all smiles, as was Kairi.

The Princess turned her attention to the frowning sliver haired teen. "Riku?" she poked him, and looked at him with wide eyes. "Cheer up will you? We've made so many new friends in just one day."

Riku tried to offer her a small smile. He knew she was right after all, it was simply difficult for him to interact normally with people after everything he had done, everything he had put them through.

Sore let his eyes speak for him n response to Roxas, as they flashed with mischief. Aireth commanded her kitchen like any commander would his troops. She had an uncanny way of finding the perfect task for everyone to keep them all busy. They all knew once they finished their tasks they were allowed to sit. Leon had the task of setting the table. Yuffie was given the task of preparing the salad. Cid was put in charge of drinks. Cloud was watching the pasta at the stove. Tifa was making sure that the bread didn't burn. All in all they worked like a well oiled machine. Leon finished setting the table and settled into his seat. At the proper time Tifa pulled the bread out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool a bit. She knew one of the blade wielding men could cut it much better then she could so she left it for them to handle. Aireth hummed happily as she stirred a pot of sauce beside Cloud.

The others had their assigned tasks completed soon enough and carried their dishes to the table. Taking a seat Yuffie looked over the kids and smiled at Roxas and Namine. "You two are just as welcome as the rest! I was wondering why you looked so much like Sora and Kairi but it makes sense now. It's kinda cool." she grinned like a small child at the two. Roxas kept his gaze fixated on Sora, and blushed slightly at her comment. Namine giggled and smiled at Kairi, who smiled as well - mostly at Riku.

"Hey Sora? What's it like? I mean isn't it weird to be setting next to yourself?" the ninja girl asked the brunette setting next to her curiously.

"Not really," Sora told her as he filled up his plate with food as the dishes were being passed around the table. "I mean he's Roxas. He's not really me we just share a heart and a soul." The brunette was trying his hardest to make sense of it but he was fair certain he wasn't getting through.

"When Roxas and Sora split, Roxas developed his own being and his own personality. He is Sora but he isn't at the same time," Riku clarified before stabbing his fork into the pasta and taking a bite.

"I see I see." Yuffie said taking food on to her own plate as the sliver haired teen explained it. "So I take it, it's the same for Ms. Namine too then?" she said taking a bite of her food.

"So then you found your light, Sora?" Cloud asked the boy, breaking an awkward silence that normally fell around the blond warrior. There was just something about the other boy that felt familiar to Cloud. The other blond just seemed like someone Cloud understood. He didn't know why but he did.

Roxas smiled at Riku's explanation and Sora's confirmation of his identity. He took food onto his own plate and began eating silently as the others conversed.

Sora smiled up at Cloud and fished for one of Roxas hands under the table. "Yeah I think I did Cloud. When I am with him I feel whole," the smile that wore was brilliant even as he began to shovel food into his mouth.

Aireth smiled at him as well. "We are all very happy for you Sora," she said kindly.

"So what brings you all here?" Tifa asked them.

"We need a bigger ship." Kairi piped up smiling.

"And this goofball is bound and determined to drag me everywhere." Roxas piped up looking up from his plate_. 'Sora, when I'm with you, I am who-- Roxas! Stop yourself right ther,'_ the blond stopped himself quickly in his train of thought. His dangerous train of thought.

"A bigger ship huh? Just came for upgrades. Well I'll git yer ship fix'd up in no'time. Jus' show me what ya' need done." Cid spoke looking at the visitors. "I might need you two to git the job done quickly though'." he finish shifting his attention to Cloud and Leon.

"I''l help! I'll help!" Yuffie piped in happily. She shifted her gaze to Sora with smug grin and mumbled so only he could hear. "Ya know Sora. If that boy wasn't you, I'd say it sounds like you like him. But you have a thing for Kairi don't you?" she teased him.

Leon simply nodded that he would help. He owed Sora that much at least.

"I'll give you a list of everything we'll need after dinner," Riku told Cid.

Sora just gave Yuffie a little smile and said nothing. He knew Roxas didn't really want them all to know just how intimate their relationship was. They wouldn't have minded one bit, of that Sora was sure, but Roxas didn't want him to say it so he wouldn't. If they figured it out on their own that was an entirely different smile. He glanced around the table and saw Airthe's smile at his responds. When their eyes met he knew she knew but he wasn't too surprised. There was very little about her friends that the maternal woman didn't know.

Soon enough the meal was finished and Yuffie and Cloud were picking up the dishes without a complaint as Aireth would have asked them to do so anyways. Roxas let out a contented coo, holding a hand on his stomach as he leaned back in his chair. Namine giggled at him. "Roxas, you're so lazy." she teased him.

He only looked over her contented and stuck out his tongue. "And you doodle all the time. What are you getting at? I work hard at protecting you, I can be lazy." he teased her back contented for the moment for a full stomach and the company of his friends.

Cid grinned at Riku and Sora. "So show me this ship of yer's and what ya want fixed up."

Sora glanced over at his best friend. "Can you Riku? I wanna show Roxas Radiant Garden." Riku nodded at his request. He was a bit grateful to have Sora out from underfoot anyway. The brunette more than likely would have demanded all the newest weapons and equipment and forget the important things, such as the expansions.

"I'll show you what we need Cid," Riku told the mechanic as he rose from the table.

Sora bounded up as well. "Hey Kairi! You and Namine haven't seen Radiant Garden either have you? You wanna come look at it with us?"

"Sure! That sounds like fun!" Kairi said smiling at her childhood friend. "I'll bring my sketchbook." Namine commented with a grin to the lazy teen at her side. Roxas only smiled, and slowly rose from his chair. "I'm coming, Sora. Just don't bounce all over the place, so I can keep up with you ok?"

"Alright alright come on!" He state excitedly as he ran to the door. There wasn't a lot of the city to show them but it was slowly being rebuilt and there were some rather cool things, in Sora's opinion, that they could see.

Roxas followed Sora into the city while Namine followed sketchbook at the ready, with Kairi close behind. "So Sora, tell us about this place!" the princess shouted happily looking around the city.

o o o o

Cid looked to the Sliver haired boy and nodded. "Lead the way." he said following the teenager to the ship, Cloud following without asking. Yuffie too bounded behind them ready to help if she was needed.

Riku nodded and led the way back to their ship. As Cloud had, Leon rose and followed. "Pretty much we need everything expanded to accommodate 5 people. We are going to need a larger version of the craft that we take down to the worlds so that everyone can fit. I guess you can give Sora a bigger bed and it would probably be a waste of your time to make two new rooms so you might as well just make theirs bigger." He paused for a moment as he thought. "Any of the newest weapons would probably be good too. We don't know exactly what we are going to. Of course we had probably better talk about price first to be sure we can afford all of this."

Cid smiled at the sliver haired boy. "Ya know I give you kids a discount right?" he said shifting his gaze to the craft once they arrived to it. Cloud stood in silence waiting for orders to do something. While Cid moved to let himself inside the ship

"Yes I am aware of that," Riku told the man as he followed him into the craft. "I am also aware of just how much we are asking for."

Cid grinned at the boy patting him on the shoulder. The blond man began to navigate around the ship taking note of everything that should be changed. "So if Sora and that Roxas kid are sharing a room, same thing with the girls I need to make sure you have more beds right?" he asked the sliver haired teen when he came to that place on his list of items.

Riku followed Cid as he moved about their ship. At the man's question he cleared his throat nervously. "Well," he began as he attempted to figure out how to best phrase what he was going to say. "Sora and Roxas have sort of an intimate relationship so I am sure they will only ever use one bed. Kairi and Namine are like sisters that like to sleep in the same bed. So I guess just get bigger beds for them." He hoped he had gotten his point across because he didn't really want to elaborate on the fact.

"Oh. I see." Cid said staring at the sliver haired teen for a moment. "Alright then, I'm jus' gunna do as yer requestin', kid." Highwind agreed. He had a slight idea of what the teen meant but didn't' really have too much of a wanting to confirm, and the teen didn't seem too eager to talk about it. He understood.

Riku gave a relived sigh. It would have been hard enough to explain it to Cid who seemed to be fairly open about things, but Cloud and Leon were also in the ship and it would have been nearly impossible to explain it to them. "Just let me know what I can do to help," he told the man.

Cid smiled at the boy, chewing on the toothpick in his mouth more. "Well kiddo, we'll get to work and be done in a few hours. Why don't you go exploring or have some fun? "

"Uh Right," Riku turned and proceeded to exit the ship. Fun wasn't exactly something he had a lot of recently despite being on a journey with his two best friends, so he didn't think that would be happening any time soon. As for exploring he had more than enough memories of this world, most were ones he never wanted to see again and were therefore buried deep within his mind. He knew they were there and that they were awful he simply didn't remember most of what they were. Every now and again he would dream of what he thought were various memories but that was as close as he got. The silver haired teen didn't want to chance triggering the reawakening of some of those memories.

He thought about returning to the house but the thought of being surrounded by people changed his mind. The keyblade wielder found himself perched atop the wall overlooking the small gathering of houses, sometime later. He rested his chin on one of his pulled up knees and simply gaze at what was slowly becoming normal again. It was amazing to him how people could help a world to overcome the darkness that was once in it. He only hoped that people could also truly do that with their hearts and souls as well.

o o o o

"Well let's see," Sora said as he walked nonchalantly with his hands behind his heads. "I guess this used to be a really beautiful world. Then the heartless came and kinda made it their home base and ruined it. Once we defeated Ansem, Leon and Cloud and everyone else were able to come back and start making this place back into what it used to be. Now they take care of the city and keep all heartless and nobodies out. With the exception of you two of course!" He declared with a smile.

Sora climbed up the large flight of steps that allowed them to look out into the surrounding area. "You see that valley down there? One time it was full of heartless. All of us had to fight our way through them to get down the castle and help Tron."

"Really? That's so cool! Do you know anything else Sora?" Kairi chimed looking around as Sora spoke. Namine however said nothing. She simply pulled out her sketchbook and began drawing the scene before her. Roxas however stood at Sora's side staring at the valley below him. He seemed fascinated by the scene.

"There were once beautiful gardens everywhere." the blond shifted his gaze and lifted a hand to point. "There was a river there, and there was once a grand castle atop that cliff." he paused and turned to look at the girls with a smile. "The Seven Princesses of Heart lived in that castle and looked over the land with their purity and power," the boy explained to the girls, not stopping to think about one of the words that came out of his mouth.

Sora listened intently to his other half and could almost imagine what Roxas was describing. Radiant Garden in its original state must have been an amazing site to behold. It took him a moment to realize that the words Roxas had spoken described something even earlier then Sora had experience. The brunette whirled to face his other half with disbelief written over his face. "Roxas," he said reaching to the blond and clutching at his arm. "Roxas how do you know that? This world was ruined by darkness before I even got here."

Roxas turned and looked into matching blue eyes and smiled. He held that expression if for only a moment before a blinked a few times and his expression because dazed and then highly confused. "Sora? What did I say? I dunno where it came from." he said rubbing the side of his head, confusion about his form.

Sora didn't know what to say to clarify it for the blond. "I don't either," he said quietly. Then he plastered a smile on his face. "But at least you have some cool memories of this place! Much cooler than mine!" Although he seemed his normal exuberant self, the smile was fake at best, but it was unlikely if anyone could see through it. Perhaps Roxas could simply because he was Sora's other half. The brunette for some reason didn't like the fact that Roxas had memories that he had no knowledge of.

Roxas smiled back at his other equally as fake. "Think we should go back and check up on the others?" he asked the other teen seeing as they had already covered pretty much the entire town. He really just wanted to cuddle up next to his other and talk about things but he didn't want to do that in front of people. He wasn't about to let people know about the situation. It scared him a little to have memories and not actually remember them.

"Right," Sora agreed curling his fingers around Roxas' hand. "Kairi, Namine, are you guys gonna stay here a bit longer or come with us?" he asked them. Sora wasn't worried about their safety. It was reasonably safe and Kairi had her own keyblade if it came to that.

Kairi smiled at her childhood friend. "You two go on ahead Sora. We'll be fine." the princess told him.

"Indeed, you two go be with each other, we'll be fine." Namine smiled at the two boys with a knowing grin. "I have much scenery that needs to be drawn." she continued taking Kairi's hand.

"So we'll come back in a little while. Don't worry about me and Namine, Sora. I can handle it. If anything happens I'll yell for you."

"Okay!" Sora agreed excitedly. He tugged on Roxas hand and pulled them back down towards where they had left their friends. "So Roxas did you wanna go look at anything else around here?" he asked lightly. The brunette was curious mostly as to what else Roxas knew that he had no idea about. Although neither one of them seemed to know where the memories were coming from Sora was fascinated by them. There was no telling what Roxas could know.

Roxas smiled at the boy. "Sora I don't know anything about this place, why would there be places I want to go?" Roxas teased the other boy as he was drug along. "If there's something you want to show me just do it silly."

"Nah not really. You've pretty much seen about all there is to see. I'm sure there are some nice seclude places for private time," he said lightly with a grin. "But I would rather not get rocks in places I don't want them, especially when we have a nice new bed we'll need to try out later!" he declared excitedly as he pulled Roxas along and down to where the town was situated.

The blonde's eyes lit up as he walked through the town, Sora's sarcasm falling on deft ears. His head turned slowly as he took in each and every detail of the small town, as it was still under construction. "It used to be so beautiful here, it's a shame to see it like this now." The boy muttered to himself more than to anyone else. He clenched unto his other's hand tightly and pulled. "Come with me," the blond ordered with a glint in his eyes that wasn't normally there. The teen dragged his other through the small town quickly and into a small alley that no one ever used. He held up his hand and dragged it along the wall that was blocking their path. It appeared that the alley was obviously at a dead end but the nobody suddenly balled a fist and knocked his hand on a brick quickly.

A path opened suddenly and Roxas pulled Sora behind him once again. It was almost as if the blond was in a trance and it was guiding his movements more than anything else. He dragged the other teen through a maze of corridors that Sora probably didn't even know were there, and they ended in the old Hallow Bastion castle basement. In a small secluded section that over looked the vast Lake Sora first landed at on his first journey. Bringing the brunette up to the ledge overlooking the waters, he turned back at him - a different look in his eyes- and smiled before looking back to the scene. "It's beautiful, huh?"

Sora had followed Roxas without complaint and full of curiosity and he was pulled along. He hadn't a clue where they were or where they were going but he trusted his other without question. As soon as the lake came into view Sora smiled. It really was beautiful. The way the sunlight sparkled off of the water. Sora hadn't even known that it had been there. It wasn't as if he had a ton of time for site seeing the last time he had visited radiant gardens, he had been slightly distracted by the organization and the like. "Yeah it is," he said smiling. "How did you know this was here? Where are we Roxas?" he asked curiously not taking his eyes off the water.

Roxas moved behind Sora and wrapped his arms around the boy's waist. He rested his chin on the teen's shoulder and smiled pulling him close. "We're in the castle, up on the hill. We're in its basement, it'd be a long climb if you wanted to go to the top." the blond explained grinning mischievously at his partner avoiding the other one of the boy's questions.

The brunette automatically relaxed into Roxas's hold. When the blond informed him of where he was Sora simply nodded at first. It made sense they would be in the basement of a castle judging by the look of things. The only castle Sora knew of on this world was Hollow Bastion. He tensed slightly at the thought of going up into it again and then almost immediately relaxed, hoping that Roxas hadn't noticed. There was nothing but bad memories surrounding that place, with the exception of being reunited with Kairi. "Naw, I think I am good right here, with you," he said attempting to be nonchalant.

The pale fingers that were wrapped in the other teen's jacket relaxed and released the fabric they were gripping. "Sora?" a voice sounded from the teen sounding confused and awkward. Roxas looked out at the vast span of blue before him and his eyebrows knitted in confusion. The blond took a step back and walked to the edge of the ledge they were on before turning to his other and taking his hand. "Come on. Let's go," he said trying to sound more forceful than confused. He headed back in the direction they came but, this time instead of seeming to know the way without problem, the boy seemed lost. He didn't know how they got where they were but he did want to say anything and scare Sora.

"Yes?" Sora asked in response to Roxas statement of his name. He wasn't sure what was up with Roxas but he had no problems with the thought of leaving. As beautiful as the lake was it was only bring to mind things he didn't wish to remember. When Roxas ordered them to leave he went without question allowing his other to lead them without question. After a bit Sora found himself puzzled. This time it seemed to take a lot longer than it had when they came in. Maybe they were taking a different way. Sora didn't see any reason to say something since Roxas had seemed so assured earlier.

After walking in what felt like Circles Roxas stopped dead in his tracks. He dropped his head and stared at the floor. "Sora..." he chirped out meekly. "I.." he started. Sora would probably panic if he thought something was wrong, but then again Roxas didn't know what was going on either. He had never really wandered the worlds before, so all of this was new. " ...I don't..." he started again still staring at the floor. "...know where...I'm going.. "

A/N's:

Kat: Well that was a special 18 page chapter for you all after our slightly evil cliff hanger. We would never split them like that! ….Well at least not this early in the game… This is pretty much un beta-ed so that is why there are probably so many mistakes. We just wanted to let you all know, so you have an idea of how this gets written, that this is written as an role play by Kira and I. It gets a little crazy trying to control 6 characters at once. Thanks so much to faithful reviews RoxasTheOther, KiraLacus Forever, and BCZ. I try to respond to all your reviews. Please keep them coming!


	5. Chapter 5: Lost

Disclaimer: We don't own Kingdom Hearts only the events that occur in this story.  
Warnings: Language

Gift of the Heart  
Chapter Five

Lost

"What?" Sora muttered in disbelief. This was probably the last place in the worlds that he wanted to be lost in. What was worse was the fact that his other seemed to currently be acting like two separate people. It worried Sora a bit that he had no clue what had gone on with his other half. The brunette took in a deep calming breath.

"Uh ok…" What was it that Kairi had always told him to do if he got lost? "Hey Roxas, Kairi is always saying to go back to the last place that I knew when I get lost. Do you remember which way we came to get to this point? Maybe we can go backwards and try again?" Sora asked hopefully. He certainly hoped Roxas did because he was currently clueless as to even which way they had come from.

Blue eyes lit up slightly and the boy nodded a meek 'yes'. "Uh, yeah. I can get us back to where we were," Roxas said with his head tilted down but still looking up at Sora. His posture dropped as he shyly took the boy's hand and lead them through the corridor of hallways until they were looking over the lake once again. "See, I don't know how to get out though," he paused looking around after letting go of the boy's hand. His eyes scanned the area slowly hoping that something, anything would jog his memory and make him remember or snap back to whatever it was that got them here. After a few minutes of silence, with his back to Sora, Roxas's shoulders dropped as with the rest of his small frame. "I'm so sorry Sora."

Sora was busy looking around an attempting to ponder a way out and barely heard Roxas's muttered words. Yet when he did he turned and immediately enveloped Roxas in his arms. "What are you sorry for Roxas?" he asked with a brilliant grin on his face. "I get us lost all the time! You're half of me so it's only natural that you would get us lost some time or another! Besides, it's beautiful here and defiantly worth it!" He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Roxas forehead.

"I'm just sorry Sora." he said back keeping his head down. He blushed slightly at the feeling of the boy's lips on his forehead. He held his hands up to rest them on his other's.

"We can always swim across the lake!" Sora exclaimed declaring the first thing that came to his mind.

Roxas let out a sigh and smiled only slightly when the boy gave the suggestion of swimming across the lake. "Sora, you don't even know how cold the water is. And besides how do we get down there?" he said looking down towards the water they were talking about. It was a good drop from the ledge they were on.

Sora stepped back grinning. "Please Roxas. I'm an island kid. I was born, breed, and raised in the water. You should feel how cold it is early in the year! I bet this is nothing!" Sora glanced at the water and couldn't see any rocks in the immediate area. Besides that it looked deep enough that it wouldn't kill them… hopefully. Turning back to his other he declared boldly, "We dive!"

Roxas stared at his other like he was insane." Sora!? Are you insane?! YOU may be an island kid, but I'm not," he declared feeling his heart drop and his sullen mood drop to disbelief. "Besides Sora, you don't even know where to go. If we do swim across the lake where do we go from there? Have you thought about this at all Sora?!"

"Uh…Well…" Sora said lightly as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. His actions spoke of a resounding no. "Well… ummm… what do you suggest we do?" he asked dropping his hands to rest at his side again. With his brilliant plan shot down Sora wasn't sure where to go from there. Roxas didn't say a word. He walked towards the ledge and balanced there for a moment. He looked around the vast lake and surrounding area.

Soon he merely looked over his shoulder with the same glint in his eyes that he had when he had pulled Sora back to their current place. "Trust me." he said with a confidence behind his tone, as he let his feet tilt until he gracefully fell forward and towards the water before with total calmness covering his form. His eyes closed slowly and the smirk stayed on his lips as he extended his arms as he plummeted downward.

Sora nodded immediately. He had no trouble trusting Roxas at all, right up until the moment where he fell off the edge of the ledge. "Roxas!" Sora exclaimed as he looked over at the falling blond. Hadn't the blond just said he wasn't a swimmer and it was a really bad plan?! Sora didn't wait another moment. If he needed to save his other half he could do so better by being down in the water with him. Without further thought Sora launched himself from the ledge, his body instinctively taking the position of a much practiced graceful dive towards the water below.

Cool water splashed from force of the blond plummeting into it. His body was pulled under before he opened his eyes quickly swimming to the surface. He pulled in breath and waded there for a moment looking up to see the quickly falling brunette. He smirked. He was just like him. So he'd get the picture quickly. ... No perhaps he should wait.

Sora hit the water head first and properly maneuvered his body to use the most of his moment coupled with strong strokes of his arms and legs to get him to the surface quickly. He only took a second to reflexively shake his head before he looked around for the blond. As his legs began to automatically and leisurely kick to keep him surfaced, blue eyes focused on his other with much relief. Immediately he swam through the water to Roxas. "I thought you just got done saying that you couldn't swim that well and this was a bad idea?" he asked with only the barest hints of his previous scare coloring his voice.

The smirk never faded, and the firmness behind the blue eyes glistened off the water's surface. "Of course, it was a stupid idea. You're an idiot. That's why you have me," he grinned at him with a cocky smirk pulling a hand out of the water. "Now just, trust me and follow my lead." he said as if it were a friendly order. "Aero," he spoke lowly letting a small ball of air swirl in the 

palm of his hand. He held the hand to his mouth and dove under the water. He figured the brunette would follow him so he looked back at him, and made a pointing motion as if telling him "I'm going that way." and then proceeded to head in said direction.

Sora could only blink after his other. Sure Roxas was cocky and teasing of him but ordering like that. He didn't think he had ever heard Roxas do that. What puzzled him more was his use of magic. The brunette had never thought to use his magic like that and the idea that Roxas knew that spell well enough to control it like that and to think to use it like that was a bit odd. There was no way he wasn't bringing this up later.

Sora held up his own hand and muttered "Aero." A few tries later he had formed a sufficient ball of air. His however he had played with until he had gotten it to stay over his mouth and nose without him holding it there. He knew that swimming without both hands would be very weird.

Once he figured he had the spell under control to the point that he wouldn't get a lung full of water he dove under to join his other half. His eyes which were normally accustomed to salt water had no trouble peering through the fresh water to locate the form of the blond. With a slight grin despite himself at how much fun he was having, Sora swam towards him ready and willing to follow.

The blond form stopped only momentarily to look behind him and see if the boy was following. Good. He pointed with his free hand to his left which had an odd glow of light coming from that direction. Sora nodded that he understood and followed just far enough back not to get kicked in the face.

Soon enough he was powering himself again with the strength of his legs alone. After a while he moved up and brought them to a seemingly underground cave. It was here that the boy let the spell fade and he began to look around. There was a ledge of land, so he swam over to it in an ungraceful fashion and pulled himself from the water panting.

Sora surfaced shortly after Roxas and let his own spell fade before swimming to the ledge to join the blond. Sora pulled himself up with strong arms and the moment he was out of the water he shook himself almost like a dog. That done he turned to his other, with his hands on his hips, to get some answers. "Roxas, how come you never told me you knew that spell let alone how to do that. That would have been helpful every now and again." Even though he was pressing for information, Sora's tone was still light and almost playful.

Roxas removed his jacket and twisted it to ring it dry. Drenched to the core he pulled himself up to his feet and stood there for a moment wobbly to get his balance on his tired sore legs. His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows knitted into a confused anger. "What the hell are you talking about Sora?!" he spat back confused as to what the boy was getting at. Last he knew he was yelling at the boy for his idiotic craziness.

Sora blinked in utter confusion before taking a step forward and placing a hand on Roxas arm. "Roxas you just dived in the water and we swam all the way here underwater breathing through Aero spells. Don't you remember that?" He asked worried at the reaction of the blond. Roxas words seemed like he was utterly confused not just ticked that Sora was bringing something up.

Roxas raised a blond brow at the boy before he finished ringing out his jacket and moving his hands to his zipper pull. He shook his head before answering to ring out the water in his hair, not caring that it spattered all over Sora's face. He looked the boy as he unzipped his shirt, with a huff. "No Sora. I don't." he removed his shirt and began to ring that out as well, letting the water pool at his feet. "I don't know half to spells you do. Where in the world did your mind come up with that idea?!" he spat twisting the black fabric tightly to take out his frustration out on it instead of his other.

Eyes widening in shock Sora grabbed both of Roxas wrists to still his hands. "Roxas you're wringing water out of your clothing," he breathe quietly. "And we are on a completely different ledge. You led us here. Roxas what is going on?" he asked with worry coloring his voice.

His eyes narrowed at his other when he grabbed a hold of his wrists. "Let go of me Sora." he warned. He looked into the other boy's eyes and saw the worry there. He sighed. "Look Sora." he started firmly. "I don't know where we are. I don't what is going on, and I'm just a little touchy right now. Ok? Can we just go please?" he snapped finishing his sentence with a softer voice.

Sora released Roxas wrists upon his request and nodded. "Ok. We can go. Lead on," Sora said lightly. He still needed Roxas to lead since he still had no clue where to go to get out of this mess. The brunette swore to himself that he would press the issue later when they were out of this mess and had some time. It was very unsettling and he found he didn't like it one bit.

With that the boy whipped his shirt loose and replaced it on his shoulders refraining from zipping it up. He looked around the area and saw a small pathway. "Let's go." he said walking forward down the small curved tunnel. Soon enough the boy's were overlooking the vast valley that Sora had fought in on his past journey. Roxas stopped and crossed his arms. "There. I don't have a clue where I am Sora. So it's all you now."

Sora, who hadn't bothered to wring out his own clothing, left a trail of water in their wake. He nodded as soon as he saw the area and recognized it. "Come on," Sora ordered in an unusually quiet and calm tone. He turned and took off in the way he knew the small settlements of houses lay without another word to Roxas, expecting that the blond would follow. Sora wasn't sure what was worse. The fact that he knew something was going on that was odd or the fact that Roxas wouldn't say anything about it.

Roxas chased after his other the wind colder on his skin now that he was sopping wet. Soon enough the two boys were back in the city's limits and Roxas heaved a sigh of relief. "Well I think we're set on adventure for a while Sora." he breathed out in a tired voice. "Let's go back to the others and see if they have a place I can crash. I don't know about you, but I'm tired," he said looking to his other with eyes that spoke the truth, still he was trying to avoid the previous topic.

"Yea," Sora responded quietly. He led them right back to the house and walked through the front door as if he belonged there. As far as many of them were concerned he did belong there. Aireth greeted him with a smile which he returned minimally. "Do you have some place Roxas can rest?" he asked her.

"Sure," she replied kindly.

"Thanks," Sora said quietly. Then he turned to his other and offered him a smile. "I'm gonna go see if Riku needs any help, ok? You rest." Without another word and leaving no room for Roxas to respond, Sora walked past the other half of his heart and back out into the city leaving Aireth standing there alone with Roxas.

Roxas smiled meekly at the woman, standing in a slumped position. He zipped up his shirt quickly realizing it was still undone. "Sorry for the trouble." he said shyly. "Where do you want me to be? I don't want to be in the way or anything." he continued positioning his hand s behind his back as he entwined his fingers within themselves to at least give him some form of comfort that someone was with him. Stupid Sora. Why did he just have to leave?

Aireth offered a gentle smile to the blond. "You're no trouble at all," she told him gently. "This way," she led him down the hall to a small room which was obviously a guest room. "You can use the bed in here if you like. Or you are welcome to wander the house. I'll get you a towel and some of Cloud's things to wear until yours dry," she told him before moving off to do just that.

"Well I um..." before Roxas managed to utter a full sentence the woman was gone. He felt like he was being such a bother. He heaved a large sigh and slumped his posture. All he could do was wait for her to come back.

After a few moments Aireth returned. In her arms was a large fuzzy towel and what appeared to be several articles of clothing. "Here," she said gently. "I didn't know what you would like so I got a variety of things. Cloud won't mind you using them. You can just set your wet clothes on the towel outside the door when you are done and I'll take care of them," she instructed in her kind and gentle way.

"T-thank you very much." he said taking the clothes from her. He smiled at her with the same meek smile and headed to the room she told him he could rest. He slipped in himself inside and dropped the garments on the bed. Soon after he removed his own clothing and dried himself off with a towel. Moving to chose clothes from the ones offered he paused. Now would be a good time to see these markings Sora was so fascinated with, without having to worry about the other boy being perverted -not that Roxas minded. He looked himself over and took in the sight of many trails of faded off flesh colored text all over his body. "Huh. I bet it's because of you," he said speaking to the crystal hanging from his neck. His slender fingers pulled long black pants and a sleeveless black turtle neck from pile and slipped them on. He zipped up the shirt, and placed his wet clothes outside the door as instructed.

Soon he slipped himself into bed and pulled the blanket up. All he could think of was the lack of warmth lying next to him. "Stupid Sora. Stupid Sora running off and leaving me all alone." he grumbled glaring at the wall. "Stupid Sora. Stupid Stupid Sora."

0o0o0

Sora stalked out of the house and into the city. For a while he simply wandered around just to be wandering. Once he spotted Riku perched up on a wall overlooking the city, he decided to join his silver haired friend. Minutes later he was settling by Riku ignoring the curious looks that the teen was giving him. Shrugging Riku returned to gazing at the city figuring that when Sora was ready to talk he would. Sure enough 3 minutes later Sora heaved a large sigh and began to speak. "You would think that the other half of your heart would tell you anything," he muttered. Wisely Riku chose to stay silent and simply listen.

0o0o0

Kairi and Namine had been wandering the city streets for some time now when they spotted the backs of Sora and Riku. "S-" Kairi moved to shout at the two before Namine placed her hand over her other's mouth and shook her head at her.

"No, Kairi. Let them talk. Besides this is a perfect opportunity," she grinned flipping open her sketch book to a new page. "I haven't had a live model in a long time."

0o0o0

Sora took a breath before continuing. "I mean I know something wrong and there is something he isn't telling me. He keeps having all these flashes of things he shouldn't know because he's not supposed to know things that I don't. But then he gets angry and won't talk to me about it. I can feel that it bothers him and it bothers me too but I just wanna talk about it and see if we can figure something out!" Sora declared as he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Perhaps," Riku said in his calm and quietly assured voice. "All he wants is for you to be there with him. Neither of you have any idea so talking will do no good. Maybe all he really needs is for you to be strong for him."

Sora pondered Riku's word for a minute before sighing again. "I'm an idiot aren't I Riku."

The silver hair teen let out a chuckle, "Only every now and again."

Sora smiled and elbowed his friend in the side before turning his head to look at him. Blue met emerald and a quiet understanding passed between them. "Thanks Riku," Sora muttered softly. Then he was breaking the eye contact and vaulting from the way to flip midair and land lightly on his feet on the ground before taking off at a run.

Riku simply shook he head and couldn't help but smile. "Namine," he said quietly, yet loud enough the young woman would be able to hear. "If you wanted to draw me all you had to do was ask," he told her without turning to face her or moving in any sort of way that even indicated he knew where she was.

"Riku!!" Namine shouted at the boy playfully. "Why'd you have to do that?! Now I have to totally erase Sora!!" she joked flipping her pencil to work on the picture more. Kairi let out a small chuckle at the two. "Here Namine, you can draw us instead," she offered climbing up on the ledge where Sora was. "Riku what did you say to him? Is everything Ok?" she asked her sliver haired friend

A light chuckle bubbled forth at Namine's words before Riku could stop it. Calming himself once more he answered Kairi's question without out looking at her choosing instead to gaze ahead of him. "He was just having a slight issue with Roxas," Riku told her. "Nothing they won't be able to work out. They are halves of the same heart…" the silver haired teen let his words trail off figuring that Kairi would understand what he meant.

0o0o0

Sora ran all the way back to the house and skidded in the open front door. "Roxas?" he gasped out while taking in deep breaths of air.

Aireth, used to the oddities of the people she lived with, wasn't startled too much by Sora's sudden appearance. "He's down the hall in a guest room," she told him rising to show him the way.

"Thanks!" Sora exclaimed as was moving down the hall before she could really show him. He stopped outside the door that had Roxas's clothing lying outside and thought about knocking. Quickly he gave that idea up and he opened the door and slipped inside instead. "Roxas?" he called very softly incase the lump under the covers was sleeping.

Still glaring at the wall Roxas merely clenched onto the pillow he had pulled into arms tightly. Without moving much or turning to face the other boy, he threw said pillow at him in an angry fuss. With that he let out an angry groan and pulled the blanket up over his head.

Roxas had a mean aim and Sora, despite all his ability with a keyblade couldn't avoid a pillow. It smacked him straight in the face and flopped loudly to the floor. "I guess I deserved that," Sora mumbled as he toed off his shoes and began the process of removing slightly soggy clothing. Once it was laying a wet pile on the floor he tip toed over to the bed and lifted up the edge of the blanket to squirm his way under. "Roxas," he called out. "I'm sorry."

Roxas had balled his form under the blanket, pulling his knees to his chest. Small whimpering sounds which sound more like tears were coming from the blond boy who said nothing to his other. He merely wrapped his arms around his knees, and held them close to chest. He clenched his eyes tightly and didn't move a muscle. He kept himself quiet and hoped Sora wouldn't notice the tears.

The brunette didn't need to see his other to know something was desperately wrong. They were, after all, still connected. Without further thought Sora moved forward and curled himself around Roxas's body. "Roxas," Sora entreated pitifully as he felt tears of his own well up. "You were mad and upset and I thought maybe you just wanted to rest alone. I'm sorry. I never should have left you."

The dam broke and Roxas rolled in Sora's arms to bury his face into the other boy's chest. "Sora!" he said sobbing on the bare flesh of his other. "I'm so scared. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm just so scared," he said in a confused crying mess.

Sora immediately pulled the blond as close as he could and twined them together beneath the blankets. He couldn't stop his own tears as he echoed Roxas's confusion and fear. "It's ok Roxas," Sora soothed running his hands over the blonde's fabric covered back. "Don't worry we'll figure it out. I bet it's no big deal in the end." Sora continued to mummer soft words in efforts to comfort and calm his other half.

"But...But.. What if something's wrong with me?" he spat back through a tear soaked voice. "I mean what if it's because I'm here and not... and not..." he started to trail as if he didn't want to say the next few words. In fact his eyes even trailed away from the young keyblader, hoping that that the topic could just be dropped.

"Nothing's wrong with you Roxas," Sora declared fiercely. "There is no reason why being here would be a problem right?" the brunette said softly as he continued to smooth his hands over Roxas's back in effort to sooth.

Roxas drew in a breath in a failed attempt to stop himself from crying. However he kept doing so and continued to look away. "Sora..." he trailed off. "Stop," he said softly not giving a reason why. "Please don't make me think about it."

Sora blinked in confusion. He had thought Roxas was upset about the fact that he had led them out without knowing it, but now the brunette wasn't so sure. "Roxas? Think about what?" he asked with confusion showing clearly in his tone.

"Sora Stop." he said his voice urging. "There are plenty of reasons why I shouldn't be here so please don't make me think about them." he spoke again his eyes dropping and he looked off to the side so that Sora hopefully couldn't see his face.

"Roxas," Sora began. "You have plenty of reason to be here! You have just as much a reason as I do! The heart thing in Atlantis thought so. Why do you think any different?" he pressed in attempts to convince the blond that he really did have right to exist.

The blonde's tongue reacted before his mind could stop him. "Sora! Listen to yourself! I'm a nobody! I don't have the right to exist. I'm half a person! Half of you. I shouldn't be here. I probably keep snapping in and out of it because of that. That's probably why I have spots of black in my memory. I'm not supposed to be here Sora! I'm not me! I'm half of you. Half of this!" he shouted setting up slightly and resting his hand down on Sora's heart with his last words.

"Do you understand Sora?! I'm half of this and nothing more, this is where I'm supposed to be." it was then that the words he just said settled in his mind and the tears raced faster. Before he could do anything there was a blinding light between the two boys. "Sora, I'm so sorry."

Blue eyes widened at the light, he had seen that before in a waking dream. A dream where he remembered seeing Roxas for the first time and then the blond had been gone because he had been pulled inside of Sora's own being. "No!" Sora screamed reaching out as if to grasp Roxas and hold him in existence, but his hands felt nothing. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as his hands were unable to do anything to stop it. He could _feel_. He could feel the things inside him, his heart and soul, sighing as the other half slowly slid into it. A sigh as things finally became whole. At the same time his mind felt nothing but panic. This couldn't be real. It couldn't be happening. Not when they had only just begun to taste what life could be like for them.

A/Ns:

Kira: MWHAHAAHAHAHAHA! Keep reading kiddies! XD

Kat: grins So yeah. There you have the next part. I think Kira and I are getting pretty good at the cliffies if I do say so myself. As always thanks to our kind reviewers TheUnnaturalDisater, bcz, KiraLacus Forever, and GothChika07. We love to hear from you and we would love to hear from any of those silent stalkers out there too!


	6. Chapter 6: Returned

Disclaimer: We don't own Kingdom Hearts only the events that occur in this story.

Warnings: Sexual Content.

ATTENTION: Please read the authors note at the end of the chapter for important information about the story. Enjoy!

Gift of the Heart

Chapter Six

Returned

As the light faded, Sora felt tremors begin over his body. He could feel it inside him. He felt _whole_. So much more whole then he had felt since he had unlocked his own heart. It was very right and very wrong all at the same time. No longer could he hear Roxas in his head or feel the other half of him. The keybearer was just himself, purely and truly whole, once again.

Tears ran in streams down his face and his hands came up to clutch at where his heart would be located. His breath came in little gasps as he couldn't seem to wrap his mind around what had happened. It felt so very wrong. "Roxas..." he gasped in terrified fear. After getting so used to having the blond as a constant presence in his head and with him, this felt like the exact opposite of what anyone would have expected being whole to feel.

Outside the room Aireth had returned to collect the damp clothing and she couldn't help but smile at the fact that Roxas had listened to her despite his hesitancy. The young woman knew Sora had gone in the room and had been wearing equally wet clothing. So after gathering Roxas's clothing into her arms she cracked the door open quietly.

Reflexively she gazed at the bed and let out a soft gasp at what she saw. Sora was sitting with the blankets pooled in his lap and his hands clutching at his bare chest. His clear blue eyes, wide and clouded with panic and instantly fell on her when she opened the door. Aireth dropped the load in her arms and rushed to brunette with a cry of, "Sora!"

"R-Roxas… G-gone.." was all he could gasp out as tears continued to pour from his eyes. Aireth didn't understand but it didn't matter. She pulled the boy into her arms heedless of the fact he was entirely nude.

She immediately began running her hand through his hair and pulling him closer to her body. Instinctively she started a slight rocking motion intended to sooth him. Sora curled into her and buried his face in the shoulder of her dress. "Sora what happened?" She asked very softly urging him to talk.

"R-Roxas and I were talking and-and I don't even know what was said, but suddenly there was that light again and he was gone!" As Sora finished he heaved a great sob.

"Gone how?" Aireth asked in an attempt to get down to the bottom of what had happened. If Roxas had been stolen she would need to tell Leon and Cloud immediately.

"Gone! Gone back into me! I'm whole again!" Sora said in a broken and keening voice. Aireth wasn't sure she understood but she feared to press him for more information. "I don't wanna be whole," Sora moaned out brokenly. "I want to be with Roxas, but not like this… Never like this…" Anything further he may have said was cut off by another broken sob.

With the burenette's face buried in the woman's shoulder and the streams of tears flowing from his oceanic eyes it was doubtful he was aware of the blue aura surrounding his form. Soon enough in a flash there was a loud THUD on the floor opposite the side Sora was facing. Eye blinked and looked around the room. What the hell?! Soon the blue orbs filled with salty tears and a scared broken sob came from the blond boy on the floor. He was scared, but at the same time so relieved he couldn't describe it. Nor did he even notice every one of the markings on his body glowing brightly.

Sora couldn't hear anything besides his own sobs. Aireth on the other hand gasped lightly when Sora began to glow and her eyes immediately fell on the form of Roxas. She didn't know what had happened but she had learned over the years never to question the power of a heart. "Sora," she said firmly forcing the brunettes face up with one hand. "Roxas is still here. He is right there," she directed the boy's head to gaze in the direction of the blond and then removed her hands.

His sobbing was pierced by another gasp and he blinked as if he couldn't believe his eyes. He felt right again and he let out a little cry and dove straight from Aireth's arms to the form of the other half of his heart on the floor. He tackled him and enveloped him in his arms, muttering incoherent words. His tears began anew but this time for an entirely different reason.

Roxas didn't move. He wrapped his arms tightly around the other boy and pulled him close nuzzling his face into the boy's shoulder as he sobbed. "Sora. Sora. Sora. Sora." he said quickly repeating the boy's name just because he could. "I'm so sorry. So Sorry. I'm so Sorry." he said repeating himself again in a scared panic of mixed glee. "I'm soo soo soo sorry," he said as he pulled his head back from the boy's shoulder - completely unaware of the woman's presence- and forcefully pressed his lips to the other boy's with all the passion his whole form contained for the island child.

Eagerly Sora returned the kiss unmindful of anything else. Everything else could wait. On the bed Aireth blushed lightly and a small smile spread across her face. The boys had just confirmed something that she already knew to be true. As quietly as she could, she rose from the bed, moved to the door, and slipped out pulling it closed softly behind her.

The blond boy let out a moan into the kiss and passionately pushed back. He broke it momentarily. "Sora, I'm so sorry." he chimed again pressing the issue making sure that boy knew just how sorry he was. He pressed his lips to the boy's again holding him tightly pressing his chest to the other boy's.

Sora wanted to say so many things, but he wanted this contact more. He had been sure that he would never even hold Roxas again and that had terrified him. Now that the blond was back he didn't want to let him go. He was fairly certain that Roxas wouldn't protest. The brunette pushed the blond to the floor and flicked out his tongue to deepen the kiss. His naked body pressed firmly into Roxas's still clothed one trying to get as close as he could, physically.

Roxas felt his back hit the floor and he knew what was going to come soon enough. For as much as he wanted to kiss Sora back with the same passion he broke the kiss for a moment. "Sora, the bed." he said in a half sentence enough to get the point across. If Sora was going to take him again they could at least be decent about it. His pale fingers wrapped about the boy's naked form, and the blond only heaved out a moan when he felt Sora's hardened length rubbing against him. "The Bed, Sora." he chimed again hoping that would at least slow the boy down slightly.

Sora pulled back from Roxas's body gasping. His eyes swam with the multitude of emotions he was feeling and tears continued to run unchecked down his cheeks.

Sora let out a disgruntled moan as his the lips were pulled away. "I don't… This is Aireth's house…We can't… not here…" Despite his words his lips feathered kisses along Roxas's jaw. He was too emotional to think of much of anything other than the fact he had almost lost Roxas forever and he never wanted that to happen again. The brunette just needed to be close to his other half right now.

"So~ra!" he moaned out closing his eyes and moving his hands to the boy's hair. He wasn't concerned about much more than the boy on top of him at the moment, especially after hearing the boy's words.

"Roxas…" he murmured. "I need you…" Sora meant that in so many ways besides the immediate physical one that was pressing upon him. "I'll get the lotion, you lose the clothes. Meet you on the bed," Sora punctuated his ordered plan by offering the blond a deep kiss before climbing off him and scrambling to his previously discarded pants. The moment he was no longer touching Roxas he felt panic wash over him. Sora had to turn and look to make sure the blond was still there before hurriedly shifting through his pockets. Thankfully the bottle of lotion was water proof, now if he could only find it.

Roxas let out another gasped moan before he picked himself up off the floor once he was "released". He pulled himself out of the garments quickly and moved himself to the bed now ready for Sora to "have his way". "So~ra" he purred out narrowing his eyes at the other boy, "I'm wait~ing."

Sora's fingers closed around the bottle and he was diving back towards the bed before he even got it free. His pants followed him half way across the room before dropping wetly to the floor. "Roxas," Sora sighed out as soon as he reached the bed and could touch his other half again. Instantly his body was on top of Roxas's pressing and sliding. "I'm sorry Roxas. I can't wait. I need you," Sora breathed out, already opening the bottle of lotion and dipping in two of his fingers.

"Then hurry it up already! Both of us shouldn't have to wait!" the blond ordered back more than ready to take Sora inside. He looked the boy over and his stomach caved, He let out a low purr and licked his lips, his eyes filled with a lustful gaze.

Sora didn't say anything. He simply pressed his lips to Roxas's while his two fingers pressed gently inside the blond. Only for a few moments did he let his fingers work there. Then he was pulling them out, adding a coating of lotion to his erection, and pressing against Roxas entrance. He murmured quietly as he slid inside the blond. Normally Sora would be afraid to hurt his other but at this point the need to be close to him over ruled that. "Roxas," he moaned out once he was fully seated in his lover. Gently the brunette pressed their lips together. Tears were still flowing from his eyes, however at a much slower rate than they had been. Sora couldn't wait, and only a moment later he was beginning his first backstroke and slow thrust into the blond.

Roxas's head went back as he let out a loud drawn out moan of pleasure. His body arched as Sora touched him completely. "So~ra!!!" His hands were buried in the long brown locks of his somebody the other boy locked lips with him. He kept moaning, but into the other boy's lips now, his cries of blissful pleasure muffled. His own tears were flowing uncontrolled. He was just so happy to be able to feel the one he loved more than anything else with everything that had recently happened

The brunette knew he wouldn't last long because of the state he was in. Every sensation seemed to be magnified. Every thrust felt like one million. Without breaking the kiss, Sora's hand drifted down Roxas's body and wrapped around Roxas's erection. He began to stroke the sensitized flesh in time with his thrusts into the blond. To further increase the blonds pleasure Sora shifted slightly so he was brushing directly on Roxas prostate. A long moan fell from his lips only to be swallowed by Roxas mouth.

Sora's moan was swallowed by the blond and giving right back to his lover due to the boy's actions. He was so spoiled by the other teen. Spoiled so much. Roxas didn't know why but the whole experience seemed different from the last time. Maybe it was the heightened emotions affecting it. Roxas didn't care. He gave Sora another moan and moved just so he could feel the boy inside of him, effectively rubbing Sora's member on his inner walls.

Tearing his mouth away, Sora immediately moved it to the blonde's neck. He buried his face there offering pleased sounds to the soft skin as the movements of his body picked up speed. Knowing he wouldn't last much longer, he sped up the motion of his hand on Roxas's member. His other hand found it's place along Roxas's sensitive sides stimulating the flesh there. He refused to climax before being certain he had brought Roxas equal pleasure.

The tears welled in Roxa's eyes and small whimpering sounds escaped his throat. "Sora...." he let out meekly. "I....I can't... I'm going to...." he started to plead to let the teen know he was at his breaking point. His body at that point broke. With the combination of Sora's hands his small frame could take no more and with a load moan he caved to impulse. "SORA!"

Sora climaxed only moments after Roxas and offered up the blonds name in a loud scream as well. Panting he collapsed on the blond, nuzzling into him affectionately, and his hands beginning a slow lazy pant. Despite the fact that they were both sated at the moment, Sora didn't want to with draw from Roxas body. He needed this closeness at the moment, for all he could think was that Roxas would disappear again. "Roxas," he murmured softly.

Roxas closed his eyes softly his lips turned up into a smile as he wrapped his arms around his lover and held him close. The blond was unbothered by the fact the brunette had yet to withdraw himself, in fact the young nobody was more than content with the feeling of fullness it gave him. "Shhh Sora. I'm not going anywhere." he purred affectingly stroking a hand through the boy's hair.

"I was so scared Roxas. So scared you weren't going to come back. I didn't know what to do. I don't want to be anything but what we are now…" he stated softly. A combination of their closeness and the hand moving through his hair was finally having a calming effect on the boy and he released a little sigh. He had no clue how Roxas was back with him but he didn't care. This was the way they were supposed to be.

A/N: Kat here. I realized I had this sitting around on my computer still so I decided to move you all out of limbo. Now onto the important news.

This story will be on HIATUS indefinitely. Kira, who was writing this with me, has decided to cut ties with me. Since this was co-written as an rp I do not feel that I can continue it without getting her permission. So for now it sits. I do still have all the notes on what this was to become so there is a slim chance that I will be able to pick it up in the future. This does NOT mean that someone else can start writing this story this is still ours. I will leave it up for everyone to reread if they so choose.

Thank you so much for all of your reviews and all of the favs and alerts. If you enjoy the writing you can check out my stuff (I still write) and Kira's (I don't know if she still does). The links are on our authors profile and we would love to have you check out our separate stuff. As always I love to hear your feedback.


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